By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Russell the Crow has landed on King Street in downtown Chatham.
Sculpted out of local white oak by world-class chainsaw carver Mike Winia, the 13-foot-tall bird is now calling Zonta Park home.
The art installation – a joint effort between the Bothwell artist and Chatham-Kent – is part of an ongoing effort to beautify all corners of the municipality with public art.
The 4,000-pound bird sits on a stone pedestal with two benches on each side, atop a cement pad marked with crow feet tracks. The wooden Russell is modelled after the Crowfest mascot, paying homage to the birds that have long blanketed the skies of Chatham-Kent.
For Winia, carving in his home community is a dream come true. The third-generation logger has been creating art since he was a youngster and cites renowned Canadian artist Robert Bateman as his inspiration.
“I’m an artist at heart,” Winia said. “The challenge of any artistic project is fun for me but when you’re creating something for the public, it’s a special treat.”
Mayor Darrin Canniff said the latest incarnation of Russell the Crow is part of an initiative aimed at bringing public art to every downtown in Chatham-Kent.
The first saw a metal heart-hands sculpture placed at the entrance to Wallaceburg’s walking bridge and the next will see a wooden mastodon installed at Highgate. Winia is carving the mastodon, hopefully to be completed by next spring.
Smaller versions of Russell the Crow will be perched at nine businesses in downtown Chatham, the mayor said.
According to Canniff, the Chatham carving is the start of something bigger. Next year, motorists along Highway 401 will be introduced to C-K’s wood carving prowess in an undisclosed project.
“We are going to be known across Canada and hopefully around the world for the wood carvings,” Canniff said, noting C-K is looking to set a world record in terms of wood carvings.
They’ll also create a host of photo opportunities, the mayor said.
Plans are in the works to create an old-school pirate treasure map that will pinpoint C-K’s wood carvings.
The public art project is being funded through the Hydro One Community Fund, not the taxpayer. The utility has committed $1 million annually for 10 years to Chatham-Kent to be used for cultural and recreational projects.
