Lionel Sproule (on behalf of the Uhman family), Pat Weichel with Communities in Bloom, Member of Parliament Tom Lukiwski, MLA Donna Harpaurer, artist Darrell Baschak, artist Michael Gaudet, Sharon Thibault, on behalf of Robert Thibault, Mayor Poppy Peterson and Ron Ediger pictured with a new stainless-steel work of art that has been installed on the beach of Little Manitou Lake. (Facebook/Manitou Reflections Project)

By Angie Rolheiser

Manitou Reflections

Official unveiling of Manitou Reflections project and Manitou Beach centennial commemoration

Aug 26, 2021 | 6:00 PM

Over one year after the installation, the official unveiling ceremony for the Manitou Reflections project was held in July.

The stainless-steel work of art was created and then installed on the south shore of Little Manitou Lake by a trio of artists from the Resort Village of Manitou Beach.

Artist Michael Gaudet told northeastNOW the ceremony on July 1 was taken in by many local dignitaries and around 150 citizens.

“Our MP, MLA, mayor and council, were all here,” Gaudet said. “It was such a great evening with good energy, and it was followed by a recital from Ukulele friends.”

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Fellow artist Darrel Baschuk, and late artist Robert Thibault’s widow Sharon, were also in attendance alongside Gaudet. Thibault who was pivotal in the project unfortunately lost his battle to cancer on March 28, 2020.

The ceremony really set the scene for the site to become a new venue for the performing arts.

“We could have anything from jugglers to musicians to theatrical performances,” Gaudet said. “This is a lovely backdrop for that type of activity because the steel is polished to a mirror-like finish so anything that is going on in front of it, gets reflected. It is like a double image of the activity so that promises some visual excitement.”

The wall was created for the centennial of the resort village in 2019 but has become a hot spot for residents and visitors.

“This has become an organic attraction for people to visit, hang out, and enjoy the scenery,” Gaudet said. “It adds to the critical mass of attractions we already have at Manitou Beach, and I am pretty confident that this is a permanent installation.”

The piece of art is linked with the landscape according to Gaudet.

“There is a relationship between the artwork and the environment it is in and that gets more cemented in place the longer it is standing up here,” Gaudet said. “Depending on the lighting and atmospheric conditions this thing is constantly morphing.”

He said it is completely different at sunset than mid-afternoon making it incomparable to a static piece.

When it comes to viewing recommendations, Gaudet said there is a ‘sweet spot’ but its really dependent on each individual’s interpretation.

“On the northside, the hills reflect like they are in a mirror on the lake and those images are echoed in the design,” Gaduet said. “There is a certain spot on the steps where everything just lines up and syncs, the design synchronizes itself with the landscape.”

The green space where the wall sits was donated by the Uhmann family to the village and is now known as Uhmann Centennial Park which was also commemorated during the July 1 ceremony.

Gaudet also has an art gallery that he said has been busier than ever this year.

“This summer has been slam busy and I think people just want to dust themselves off, get out, circulate, and enjoy what the village has to offer,” Gaudet said.

G-G’s Gallery and Gifts and Manitou Beach have seen visitors from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and all-over Western Canada this summer.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser