By Alex Nino Gheciu Kent Monkman\u2019s first-ever public art installation is dam good. The celebrated Cree artist\u2019s new permanent sculpture, dubbed \u201cThe Colony,\u201d debuts Wednesday in Toronto\u2019s east end. The 15-foot-high bronze structure features beavers dancing, feasting and celebrating, evoking Indigenous ceremonies. It highlights the vital role of beavers in the natural, Indigenous and colonial histories of Turtle Island, says a release. The public artwork is located in Toronto\u2019s Biidsaasige Park along the Lassonde Art Trail, an ambitious open-air museum. Monkman says its site, where the Don River meets Lake Ontario, is especially meaningful, as it\u2019s been an important waterway for several First Nations for thousands of years. \u201cI can\u2019t think of a better place for these beavers, inspired by the fanciful beavers of Veremondo Rossi\u2019s 18th-century engraving, to gather… <\/p>\n
By Alex Nino Gheciu Kent Monkman\u2019s first-ever public art installation is dam good. The celebrated Cree artist\u2019s new permanent sculpture, dubbed \u201cThe Colony,\u201d debuts Wednesday in Toronto\u2019s east end. The 15-foot-high bronze structure features beavers dancing, feasting and celebrating, evoking Indigenous ceremonies. It highlights the vital role of beavers in the natural, Indigenous and colonial histories of Turtle Island, says a release. The public artwork is located in Toronto\u2019s Biidsaasige Park along the Lassonde Art Trail, an ambitious open-air museum. Monkman says its site, where the Don River meets Lake Ontario, is especially meaningful, as it\u2019s been an important waterway for several First Nations for thousands of years. \u201cI can\u2019t think of a better place for these beavers, inspired by the fanciful beavers of Veremondo Rossi\u2019s 18th-century engraving, to gather... <\/p>\n