Intending to depict the harmony between the various culutres which make up the social fabric of Fort St. John, Ovvian Castrillo-Hill’s new work, Drum of Concordia now graces the landscape in front of the Pomeroy Sports Centre.
Named after the Roman Goddess of Harmony, the interactive installation represents a large-scale drum that visitors can walk through – it lights up at night and if one closes one’s eyes and listens carefully while inside the drum, heartbeats can be heard.
The canopy of the Drum is held up by truss posts, which feature fabrics and other elements from cultures in the North Peace region, under recycled acrylic panels from the recent Field House rennovations.
The project is the result of a 2023 partnership between STEP Public Art and the City of Fort St. John, to support the development of new temporary public artworks, through two public art residencies – CreateSpace and Reclaim. Castrillo-Hill was selected as the CreateSpace Public Art Resident, which provides emerging or mid-career Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and racialized artists with the skills, relationships and practical experiences needed to build and advance community-engaged public art practices. Castrillo-Hill is a local Philippine artist and sculptor whose works have been featured in several recent exhibits at Peace Gallery North.
Citing the drum as one of the most identifiable features of First Nations culture in the region which is one of the reasons she chose to base her artwork on a drum, Castrillo-Hill said her experiential installation “inspires us to come together and move to the unified beat of our hearts,” at the June 17 unveiling.
Mayor Lilia Hansen said that she appreciates Castrillo-Hill’s creativity and vision, and that the diverse heritage portrayed in the Drum of Concordia provides the community “with opportunities to reflect on our shared values. Together we’ll keep the beat of the community strong and united.”
This is the first time the city has hosted a temporary art installation, and the hope is that it will remain outside the Pomeroy Sports Centre for the public to enjoy until at least October.
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