Local bridges looking cool

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This article was published 16/07/2019 (2355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s giving something a lick of paint — and then there’s CoolStreets Winnipeg.

For its second edition, the CoolStreets Winnipeg project has partnered with the Centre culturel franco-manitobain to bring four pedestrian bridges in Winnipeg to life by adorning them with works of art by artists from Manitoba and Quebec.

According to project co-ordinator Stéphane Dorge, the four bridges — from south to north — are the South Fermor Bridge, which connects both sections of Niakwa Road, just south of Fermor Avenue; the North Fermor Bridge, which is near Superstore and St. Vital Pool; the Tremblay Bridge, which is located at Tremblay and Edgewood; and the North St. Boniface Bridge, which is just north of Provencher Boulevard.

In terms of the artists, Ilana Pichon painted the South Fermor Bridge; Cloyd and Ashlen Barth painted the North Fermor Bridge; Dorge and David Boulet painted the Tremblay/Edgewood Bridge; and Eric Plamondon painted the North St. Boniface Bridge.

One of the main goals of the project is to encourage passersby to think about the positive impact that pedestrian bridges have on their daily lives while making their journey shorter and more enjoyable, Dorge said.

Now in its second year, the project was inspired by eight installations that were created on different roads in southeast Winnipeg two years ago.

“The most exciting thing is that I never thought this project would go beyond the eight installations we did in 2017,” Dorge said, referring to an art urban art project where artists installed a number of projects to celebrate the nation’s 150th birthday and the Canada Summer Games.

“This idea snowballed into the bridge project in 2018, and to be able to do it again is so exciting. And we wouldn’t have been able to do it if it wasn’t for the support of the people in the community who encouraged us to do it again.”

Notably — because half of each bridge must remain open during the installation of the artwork, it becomes an interactive experience, Dorge said.

“It’s public art almost in the form of performance art, which I think enhances the creative process. Rather than just painting a mural, the performance aspect has again been an interesting concept, as the artists have been interacting with people throughout the installation process,” he said, adding one of the benefits of the process has been working with francophone artists.

“It’s important that we talk about pedestrian bridges, and how vital they are in getting from one place to another, and this is really a fun way to talk about this.”

Dorge is thankful for the support of CCFM, and Couns. Matt Allard, Brian Mayes, and Markus Chambers that all contributed funding for the project at Riel community committee meeting earlier this year. As well, Dorge is grateful to Cloverdale Paints its support and paint contribution.  

Visit CoolStreets Winnipeg on Facebook for more information.