A stainless steel sculpture inspired by the life-saving services of Superior North EMS has been installed in front of the new EMS Headquarters building on Junot Ave. as part of the City’s public art program. The artwork, entitled Pulse, was produced by Scott McKay and was selected in an open competition administered by the Recreation & Culture Division.
The shape of the sculpture references the lines from a QRS Complex, which are the combination of three of the graphical deflections seen on a typical electrocardiogram. McKay said he felt honoured and inspired to create the project, which he has been working on in his Newbury studio since May.
“It’s been a lot of work, but very rewarding” said McKay, referring to the planning, design, fabrication and installation he has been responsible for.
Now complete, the average height of the sculpture is 2 metres above grade, and weighs 3,000 lbs.
“We wanted to include public art with the new building right from the start,” said Norm Gale, Chief of EMS. “It’s an important way to interpret what we do, and it’s a great complement to our building and the neighbourhood.”
Construction of the EMS building finished this spring, and the inclusion of artwork is part of the City’s Clean, Green and Beautiful policy, which specifies that a percentage of the City’s gross capital budget for new infrastructure is allocated towards Clean, Green and Beautiful initiatives, including public art.
For more information visit: www.thunderbay.ca/publicart
