Developer donates friezes to city
By Kevin Werner/News staff
Feb 12, 2011
http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/news/article/229448
While examining the eight friezes on the Federal Building at the corner of Main and Caroline Streets in 1986, Dr. Elisabeth Holbrook asked her protégé and friend, artist Christian Corbet, to protect these works of art after she passed away.
“I looked in the eye and told her I would,” said Corbet, during a news conference Friday at the Sheraton Hotel.
With the assistance of Corbet, Hamilton’s artistic community, city officials, and others, the sculptures will be preserved for the public to see.
Darko Vranich, who owns the Federal building, announced in a later afternoon news conference at the Sheraton Hotel, which he also owns, that he was donating the sculptures to the city.
“We want the public to enjoy the art work,” Vranich told reporters. “We are so happy to donate them to the city. I’m happy that Hamiltonians will enjoy them.”
Vranich purchased the building from the federal government in 2004, without knowing how valuable the friezes were until Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr told him they were estimated to be between $200,000 to $600,000. Heritage activists became concern about the art works when it was discovered Vranich had applied for a demolition permit for the building.. The city issued the permit a few weeks ago. Under a covenant established by the federal government, the friezes needed to be preserved before any demolition took place.
Vranich said he could start demolishing the building within six months to begin on a mammoth $100-million residential and commercial development between Bay and Caroline streets.
“We are working very closely with the federal heritage people, through my lawyers,” he said. “We are working very closely with the staff here.”
Anna Bradford, the city's director of culture, said the sculptures will be incorporated into an as yet unknown public art display in Hamilton for the public to see.
“We are thrilled the reliefs are coming to the city,” said Bradford, who added that removing the friezes could begin this week.
But first, the art works needs to be carefully removed from the building, and restored. Some of the friezes have suffered discolouration, and wear and tear because of the weather.
Bradford said assisting the city in restoring the friezes will be Janet McNaught, of McNaught Gallery, who assisted in restoring the Gore Park Fountain.
“She did a great job with the fountain, so we know the (art works) will be in good hands,” said Bradford.
The art works are particularly important because of Holbrook, a Hamiltonian, who died in 2009, at age 95. An internationally recognized artist, she created busts of such luminaries as Conrad Black, Ellen Fairclough, the artist Henry Moore, Queen Elizabeth and Sir Winston Churchill.
Corbet, who became her friend and protégé, was moved by the community’s intense desire to preserve Holbrook’s legacy.
“Elizabeth would be absolutely ecstatic,” said Corbet, a native of Newfoundland and Labrador. “Today she is saying thank you to you again.”
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