Artist rendering of the sculpture that will be included in the Blossoming Garden of Hope.

By Curtis Galbraith

Community

Sculpture to be part of the Blossoming Garden of Hope

May 28, 2022 | 6:00 AM

A sculpture by a local artist will make up the Indigenous component of the new Blossoming Garden of Hope in Grande Prairie.

Grant Berg’s work is called “The Hole in the Sky”

He says this is also known as the Pleiades constellation.

“The Hole in the Sky is what the Indigenous people of the Prairie believe that we came from and where we return to when we pass away. The idea is to recreate that constellation out of stainless steel here in the park.”

Berg says the idea behind it is to be a guiding post back home to their ancestors for kids lost in residential schools and to act as a way for people to talk to those who have passed away.

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He adds the stars are designed to catch the sunlight differently and will twinkle throughout the day and will sparkle back at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.

Berg says it was overwhelming at first when he was picked to do this.

“(I was) very honoured. I am of Indigenous ancestry and my grandma was such a huge influence on my life that if I can honour her, that is important to me.”

Berg says he suggested some other artists for the job but one of the organizers insisted he had to do it.

He adds a local knife-maker will do a lot of the labour to put the sculpture together.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday for the garden. It should be finished by the end of October.