Largest-ever private donation of public art to City revealed in Brighton

The City in partnership with Dream Development today, unveiled the installation of a large-scale art piece in the Brighton neighbourhood.  Entitled “Coming Home”, Dream Development worked with Heavy Industries, Fort Architecture and Saskatoon-born designer, Landon Anholt, to create the sculpture which is intended to complement the natural environment and specifically the nearby wetlands. The sculpture is the largest private donation of public art in the City’s history.

“Public art adds vibrancy to a neighbourhood and helps to create a sense of belonging and pride in our community,” says Mayor Charlie Clark. “This piece, envisioned by a Saskatoon-born designer, reflects the natural beauty of the area and will become a centrepiece for the growing Brighton neighbourhood. My thanks to Dream Development for the unprecedented investment in public art and to all the City of Saskatoon staff and community partners for enriching the neighbourhood with this great project.”

According to Jayden Schmiess, Land Development Manager at Dream Development, the most unique feature of the piece is its perspective. 

“From most vantage points the piece will look like a cluster of bird houses suspended in the air or a neighborhood in the sky,” Schmiess says. “However, from the westbound lanes of Brighton Common, as you approach it, the individual elements come together to form the shape of a large bird in flight with outstretched wings.”

The Saskatoon Municipal Culture Plan includes specific strategies to facilitate cultural investments in Saskatoon neighbourhoods, with donations of public art facilitated through the City’s Policy No. C10-025, Public Art Policy. The commission and donation of “Coming Home” could potentially serve as a future model for the donation of public art by developers in new Saskatoon neighbourhoods.

The City thanks Dream Development for the generous donation of “Coming Home” to Saskatoon’s public art collection.