As I read from a course text, ReVIsions, the article about Learning Social Issues through Public Art takes me back to a time when the most stressful part of the day was keeping up with the class at a walk light downtown Ottawa. We took many field trips to the Gallery in grade school, middle school, high school, and then eventually I was the one leading little kids safely through crosswalks when working at the Ottawa School of Art later on. One aspect about those trips that really stands out to me still were the large scale artworks, the public pieces, the statues, the outdoor displays. They seemed mysterious to me – even then I used to wonder, why are they here? Who let the artists put them right in the way of sidewalk traffic? How do those artists make money doing this stuff? How did they manage to transport the work to this spot? Will it stay here forever? What does it mean? Can I climb on it?

Louise Bourgeois’ Maman comes to mind. Never did try climbing on this giant spider. The piece is a personal expression of the artist, yet put in a public space it takes on another meaning. It represents  Boutgeois’ relationship with her mother in theory, and in practice it represents whatever relationship any person coming into contact with Maman chooses to have. Public art brings about personal meaning to individuals.

The Famous Five on Parliament Hill made the women’s suffrage movement and women’s rights issues concrete in my mind. Time after time I had the chance to revisit the statues, and in doing so, revisit the subjects in a tangible way.