Hamilton’s Newest Public Artwork “Raising the Barn”

Located on York Blvd and created by artist Dave Hind, the work consists of a 5.5 meter high barn-shaped metal frame in-filled with reused pieces of aluminum siding and signage to create the image of a red barn facing the street and two figures planting a garden facing the sidewalk and market. 

The title of the work serves a dual purpose: a work that literally raises a barn, an icon of rural Ontario, above the sidewalk and reminding the viewer of their connection to the rural landscape and agriculture; at the same time, it also evokes the idea of a traditional rural Barn-Raising in the way it was created. David Hind issued an open invitation to local artists and citizens to contribute to the work by creating small individual pieces in aluminum as part of the Aluminum Quilting Society. These were then incorporated into the large collage image that faces the market façade. 

The art work was selected from 48 submissions by a volunteer jury of citizens, artists and project stakeholders through the City of Hamilton’s public art process. The goal of the project was to “enhance the public space along York Boulevard in the vicinity of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market by installing a work of public art that identifies the location of the Market and express the spirit and qualities of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market to passing motorists and pedestrians.” The jury noted that they felt this proposal best achieved the project goal and also noted that they “felt that this work will become a new downtown landmark: meet me under the red barn.”