Peter Sawatzky’s Blue Herons perched at Brandon Riverbank
It took five people to lift Peter Sawatzky’s 200-pound bronze sculpture, Blue Herons, into place at its new home in the Peter Sawatzky Sculpture Garden at Brandon’s Riverbank Discovery Centre. Standing six feet tall and three feet wide, the elegant great blue herons perch on a sturdy branch, their presence made possible by Brandonite Sylvia Barr, whose generous contribution helped bring the garden and this magnificent sculpture to life.
Barr, a volunteer at the Discovery Centre and admirer of Sawatzky’s work, said her generous donation came about almost by chance while flipping through a catalogue filled with “would love to have” sculptures and the herons caught her eye. “I talked to Dean Hammond about funding the piece and he asked if I would like to meet with Peter. Well you bet I did! So, Dean and I went to Glenboro where we met with Peter. He took us around the town and showed me a number of his pieces. Although I was already on board, the agreement was solidified by the end of the visit,” she recalled.
For Barr, the project was about more than just art. “This sculpture garden will be a game changer for tourism in Brandon. I couldn’t have been more thrilled than to see them set in place in the most perfect setting. No one could have stopped me,” she said, her smile lasting the entire day. She hopes her contribution will inspire others to step forward so more sculptures can be added.
“Peter could not have picked a more perfect setting with the pond in the background and the sunset casting a colorful backdrop in the evenings.”
For Sawatzky, the pond behind the installation reminded him of his childhood in Altona, where a large colony of herons first inspired him to photograph and eventually sculpt the graceful birds.
Dean Hammond, executive director of the Discovery Centre, noted that the long-term goal is to have 16 of Sawatzky’s bronze sculptures on site. The Blue Herons is the sixth installation supported through a mix of provincial and community grants as well as private donations. “These pieces are magnificent, and seeing them placed in a natural landscape has been a game changer for the Discovery Centre,” Hammond said.
More than 50 onlookers gathered as the sculpture was installed just off the main walking path, which runs parallel to the Discovery Centre’s entrance along Conservation Drive. “It was a great feeling seeing them installed, and how pleased Sylvia was. She is such a go-getter – she works so hard and has done so much for Brandon and the Discovery Centre. It really is amazing; it isn’t very often you come across someone as generous and enthusiastic as Sylvia,” exclaimed Peter.
The two herons now invite visitors to pause and reflect on the log placed in front of them. Once the lifelike bronze sculptures were secured in place, the smiles of Sawatzky, Hammond, Barr, and Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett provided the perfect light for a flood of photos capturing the moment.
And, like the herons themselves, the installation feels both rooted in the community and ready to take flight into the future of the Discovery Centre.
PHOTO CAPTION: Philanthropist Sylvia Barr stands beside the two bronze Blue Herons and artist Peter Sawatzky who skilfully created the newest addition to the Brandon Riverbank Discovery Centre. This is the sixth piece of Peter’s work on display at the Centre.
