JILL ANHOLT

“Gliding Edge takes inspiration from the persistance and determination required to learn the challenging skill of ice skating, as well the incredible sensation of weightlessness, fluidity and dynamism that is experienced once this skill is mastered. My hope is that this work will engage people of all ages within their own lived experience of learning this skill, while also being aspirational to those who are still struggling through the long and arduous process of mastering the art of ice skating.

The work is created from singular metal blade-like forms that begin at the ground: wobbling, tilting and crossing one another before they gradually coalesce together into a singular dynamic fluid sculptural form. Taking shape across the entire length of the public art site directly outside of the lobby space, the work moves from the ground to the sky where it carves dynamically through space: rising, falling, swooping, curving, and seemingly gliding weightlessly through the air.

At night, sequenced LED lights located above the artwork create shifting shadows on the ground, evocative of the temporal carvings of skate blade patterns in the ice- overlapping and changing shape and form throughout the evening and dark early mornings.”

–Jill Anholt

Jill Anholt has received national and international awards for her public realm artworks. Many awards recognize her works’ role in sustainability and placemaking, either on their own or integrated within design projects. Jill’s work explores hidden stories, systems, and conditions of a particular place which she weaves into dynamic spatial installations that invite active engagement with a viewer. Jill’s process, rooted in the rigour of her sculpture and architectural education, embraces a wide variety

of scales and materials, and is engaged with both community and design team collaboration. Her built work often incorporates illumination and interactivity and ranges from smaller scale interpretive features to complex, integrated civic projects for municipalities and developments across North America.