Public Art Unveiling

The City of Fernie, along with Artists Michael Hepher and Paul Reimer, will be officially unveiling “A Hardy Town” sculpture on June 1, 2018 at 12:00 PM at the Fernie Arts Station.  The public is invited to join in a short ceremony to unveil the artwork.   

This piece was developed to commemorate the 1908 fire that devastated the community.  The artists’ focus was to showcase the strength of Fernie and the resiliency of the people who rebuilt the community. The funding stipulated that the art must commemorate a significant community story that has shaped the history of the city and the Great Fire of 1908 was chosen as a dramatic, defining moment for Fernie. “Our piece uses the idea of leaning forward.  Philosophically the leaning carries forward the metaphor of people depending on one another for support, their lives interlocking” Hepher stated.

A total of $50,000 in funding was received for the project through a joint application between the City of Fernie and the Fernie Museum to the BC Canada 150: Celebrating B.C. Communities and their Contributions to Canada Grant Program. The grant required $10,000 of matched funds from the city, which was allocated from the Station Square Redevelopment Project, funded by the Resort Municipality Initiative. 

The sculpture will be permanently installed at The Arts Station.

Station Square Public Art Project