Lisa Tornack's latest public art piece Nest, now on display on the Mineside Trail, is gaining critical acclaim from an unusual source. On Thursday morning (Aug.
Lisa Tornack's latest public art piece Nest, now on display on the Mineside Trail, is gaining critical acclaim from an unusual source.
On Thursday morning (Aug. 17) a bull elk used its antlers to move the sculpture made of twigs and rocks from its resting place several metres, damaging it in the process.
“It's an ‘only in Canmore' sort of problem,” said Canmore's supervisor of arts and events Chris Bartolomie.
The temporary art installation, which also includes work from Lesley Russell and Joanne MacDonald, opened on Aug. 4 for Canada's 150th celebrations.
Tornack laughed when talking about the bull elk interacting with her art, but said that there are serious aspects as well.
“Aside from the humorous aspect of it, animal safety is important,” she said.
The nest, which was located in an open field adjacent to an active wildlife corridor and habitat patch, will now be moved closer to the lower trail nearer to the community and away from the majority of elk movement.
Tornack said elk interacting with her art raises some interesting questions about public art and wildlife interactions.
“Are these just large playthings for elk?”
John Paczkowski, a wildlife biologist with Alberta Parks, said the behaviour of the elk probably had “no deep psychological meaning.”
While the elk was possibly enjoying itself, the position of the nest in the wildlife corridor and the need for male elk to remove velvet from their antlers prior to the mating season meant the art was most likely a target of opportunity.
“It looks to me as if this elk is using the artwork as a means to remove the velvet,” said Paczkowski.
Avoiding wildlife attractants was part of the original art tender put out by the Town of Canmore.
Tornack had originally proposed putting metallic strands into the nest made of weaved branches and twigs, but settled on using safer burlap coffee bags instead.
“We wanted things that were found or recycled,” she said.
Paczkowski stressed the importance of helping elk and all ungulates by limiting human-made objects that can become entangled in antlers near where elk congregate, as things like string and swings have all led to serious injury and death for bull elk in the past.
“I'm glad to see the artwork has been designed in such a way as to avoid entanglement,” he said.
A concerned citizen informed the Town of Canmore that the art piece was vandalized on Thursday and video captured by area resident Steve Kolodinsky confirmed the damage was caused in an unusual encounter with a bull elk.
A town employee was able to restore most of the art piece to its original location and form on Thursday afternoon.
The damage didn't come as a surprise to Bartolomie, though.
“Rutting season was coming up and it was possible they could use the nest for a hat,” she said. “We know the elk are going to walk through it.”
The town has been doing inspections every other day, and is looking to ramp up that number as rutting season comes into full swing.
“It's environmental art and elk are part of the environment.”
Kolodinsky said he sees elk in the river valley on a regular basis, but hasn't seen the bull elk that attacked the art piece much this year.
“I sort of keep an eye on it,” he said.
All of the public art pieces on display along the Mineside Trail can be viewed, wildlife conditions dependant, until mid October of this year.
