Ottawa artist’s work part of beaver scavenger hunt in Toronto during World Cup

An Ottawa artist is part of a unique art project in Toronto, featuring beaver statues on display while the city hosts World Cup events .

An Ottawa artist is part of a beaver scavenger hunt in Toronto consisting of dozens of colourful sculptures during the FIFA World Cup.

The hard to miss installations are part of The Great Beaver Quest, a way to honour a Canadian symbol as Toronto welcomes soccer fans and tourists from across the globe.

“It feels great. Honestly, I’m super proud,” artist Alyah Holmes told CTV News Ottawa.

She’s painted an approximately four-foot-tall beaver statue, one of about 50 on display during the World Cup celebrations in Toronto.

“The biggest sporting event that’s happening in Toronto right now. They’re installing, I think it’s something like 48 beavers, one for each country. And so, I got to do the one for the U.S.,” she said.

No two are the same. Each of the beavers was hand-painted by artists with roots or other connections to those participating countries, according to Al Smith, executive director of the Old Town Toronto Business Improvement Area, which is behind the project.

Forty-eight of them are a nod to the countries represented in the World Cup. Two others are to welcome the world, while one celebrates the vibrant neighbourhood.

“I applied for both the Canada or the U.S. one and they gave me the U.S. one,” said Holmes, who was born in Ottawa and holds citizenship in both Canada and the United States.

“It was just very exciting to be able to be American and Canadian, to have my work somewhere in Canada for such a large event. I was super excited.”

Her design features of course, the red, white and blue.

“We again had creative freedoms,” says Holmes. “I did kind of an abstract approach of the American flag. (The beaver’s) got his jersey on with USA and the face paint. So, he’s a hardcore fan of soccer.”

There’s also a nod to America’s vast landscape, different regions and cultures.

“Of course, we have the Statue of Liberty, a lighthouse, a skyline and some ocean as well, and then the tail is representing just outside of the mainland,” she said.

The Ottawa artist also recently created a poster for a Redblacks game.

“They put out a call for artists to create a poster for each of their games, and I got the opening game, which is super exciting.”

Holmes says she gets a lot of her inspiration from women and Black culture.

She is also selling her art at the Ottawa Gallery on Thursday evening and participates with 613Flea at Lansdowne.

According to the Old Town Toronto BIA, the sculptures are on display until Aug. 16.

With files from The Canadian Press

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