How To Create Iconic Public Art - Tidal Beacon at Queen's Marque, Halifax

Join us on a captivating journey through the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, as we delve into the transformative power of public art and placemaking. Tidal Beacon, a multiple award-winning public art feature, has become a symbol of prosperity and an anchor for the Queen's Marque development. 

Today we are deep diving into the challenges that come with such an ambitious feature and the process of bringing public art to life.

Our Guest: We are joined by Blaise Morrison, the Director of Development at Armour Group, a private development firm in Nova Scotia, Canada.

About Heavy: Heavy curates, develops, and builds creative placemaking features that connect people to their communities. 

Our Hosts: Ryan Bessant, President and Founder of Heavy, and Connor Hayduk, Director of Creative at Heavy.

Chapters

• 1:15 What is the Queen's Marque development & inspiration
• 4:56 Was it a commercial-first or art-first approach?
• 6:22 What was the inspiration for the art piece?
• 10:21 How did Heavy get involved to bring it to life?
• 14:33 Why did you choose Heavy for this particular piece?
• 17:21 What was it like trying to refine the concept and choose the right artist?
• 21:52 What impact did having Heavy on the team early have on the final piece?
• 27:12 Do you think all the concepts presented were equal?
• 28:43 The intent behind the chosen Tidal Beacon piece
• 31:45 Challenges in building the piece and creative problem solving
• 37:50 Lighting - an afterthought or a key design element?
• 44:26 What were the biggest execution challenges for this piece?
• 50:56 What part of the project was the most fun?
• 56:52 What would we do differently if we had the chance?
• 1:05:57 How has the community responded to Tidal Beacon?
• 1:07:15 What is everyone most proud of with this project?