Colony - Guelph, Ontario, Canada - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

Mary Anne Barkhouse & Michael Belmore: Colony

In 2006 the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre unveiled the 33rd permanent outdoor installation in the Sculpture Park. Constructed from granite and bronze, Colony is the creation of artists Mary Anne Barkhouse (Nimpkish band, Kwakiutl First Nation) and Michael Belmore (Ojibway). The red and black granite is from the Haliburton Highlands area and is estimated to be about 3 billion years old. The stone is carved by Belmore with the form of Misshipeshu, an underwater lynx found in Ojibway mythology, stylized after the gargoyle sculptures that are prevalent in gothic European architecture.

A bronze beaver sits on top of the granite. The beaver is an important icon in Barkhouse’s work as it is a distinctly Canadian emblem of industry, an example of nature’s ability to persevere in the face of adversity. A key species within the North American ecosystems, beavers provide not only for their own requirements but for other flora and fauna as well. Historically the quest for their pelts has directly influenced the colonial development of both Canada and the United States, impacting severely their populations and those of indigenous peoples. The beaver in Colony is engaged in the act of preservation, as the adult beaver provides shelter and support to its young.

With Colony, Barkhouse and Belmore juxtapose the grotesque architectural ornamentation of the gothic era with the traditional Ojibway iconography of the Eastern Woodlands. Like the beaver, the mystical, horned Misshipeshu is a guardian of the natural world, affording protection and control over marine life and water conditions. Long depicted in the narratives of the ancient petroglyphs found across the province of Ontario, Misshipeshu finds a new means of expression through a transposition into the contemporary milieu. Mirroring the transitioning of Ojibway culture into urban settings, Misshipeshu likewise adapts to a new landscape, the Sculpture Park. Blending the stone traditions of both Ojibway and European cultures, and the iconography of the beaver and the Misshipeshu, Colony is a reminder of the need for protection and respect of our ecosystems.


Colony was commissioned with the support of Augusta and Paul Tribe, for the love of the arts, and with support from the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program, 2006.

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Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Colony Figure Type: Combination of two figure types Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Mary Anne Barkhouse & Michael Belmore Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 2006 Materials used: Granite & Bronze Location: Donald Forster Sculpture Park

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