"We're making crazy art," said Sandy Buck of Deer Crossing the Art Farm, from a sunny corner of Shirley Macey Park near Gibsons last Saturday.
She and Art Farm partner Chad Hershler were turning a pile of waste plastic and metal from the Gibsons Recycling Depot into funky sculptures to line a forest path. They hoped to spark interest in a little-known recreation area behind Eric Cardinall Hall that was once set up as a Frisbee golf course, but has not been maintained.
Out on the forest trails or fairways for this game (also known as disc golf), a crew of eight London Drugs staff were team building by giving up their Saturday to clear the brush and stack objects like rocks, logs, beer cans and other detritus into interesting arrangements. The logs, for example, were formed into a pinwheel, the rocks piled into an inukshuk. A tableau of found objects, a beer can, cigarette packet and Styrofoam cup had these words written beside them: "Please respect our park."
The same sentiment was expressed on a recycled piece of wood made into a sign by Buck and adorned with metal flowers cut from beer cans by a London Drugs volunteer.
"We go through so much waste," Buck said, sorting through green and orange plastic rings cut from detergent bottles.
She demonstrated how a colourful arch was made from a piece of discarded rebar strung with plastic toys and mounted on plastic starfish feet. One of these sculptures had already been built that morning and placed on site at disc golf target number one, a mesh bucket that captures the thrown Frisbee.
Deer Crossing the Art Farm is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to use arts and nature-based programming to create positive change in people's lives and communities. They try to use recyclables whenever possible. The idea of placing found art in a park is an extension of their role on the art farm.
"As an artist, it's to make the viewer more aware of what's around you," Buck said. "It's a soft message."
Buck and Hershler say they are convinced people want to contribute to projects such as these but aren't always sure how. In this case, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) that maintains the 14.9 hectare Macey Park, was supportive, and the London Drugs team offered to help. They've also received support from Kenmac and the Medicine Shoppe. John Miller, parks supervisor at the SCRD, said it's a great course when it's cleaned up. Staff plan to put up signs and a map showing the route through this nine-hole, par three course.
"I anticipate that people renting the hall for a party might put on a little disc golf tournament," Miller said.
Anyone interested in helping in the future in this ongoing project is invited to contact the art farm by emailing [email protected].
