Summary

Sculpture Saint John was born out of the international sculpture symposium movement and operates as a not-for-profit arts charity with a mandate to connect & engage communities through affordable public art. 

In 2012, Sculpture Saint John became the first international sculpture symposium to be held in Atlantic Canada.  This biennial event sees prominent artists from around the world converge on the waterfront of Saint John, New Brunswick as it is transformed into an open, interactive sculpture studio.  Over the course of six weeks, these massive granite monoliths are expertly transformed into polished works of monumental art to be installed on permanent display in communities throughout New Brunswick.

Through the creation of a Sculpture Trail, communities throughout New Brunswick are made more vibrant and connected.  This legacy of public art can be measured by the quality of these masterfully created works that dot the trail for generations to enjoy.  Following this year’s symposium, the total of sculptures on permanent display will rise to 30, and culminate with 38 by 2020.

• Sculpture Saint John is a not-for-profit charitable organization
• Sculpture Saint John 2018 is the 4th in a series of 5 symposiums
• The event has attracted over 100,000 people since its conception
• This year SSJ will host 8 artists from Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Turkey & Canada
• We will be hosting 6 interns as part of our Emerging Artists program 
• 2018 will also mark an expanded educational component for at-risk youth entitled Sculpture for Children: Thinking in Three Dimensions 

What We Need 

As a not-for-profit charitable organization, we rely on the generosity of our community partners, the in-kind donations of our corporate sponsors, and in particular on the kindness and patronage of donors from the general public.  Without this crucial piece of funding we would be unable to deliver any of the magnificent pieces of public art to they communities, or provide any of the educational programming critical to the at-risk youth and priority schools we serve.  As you can imagine, transforming 120 tonnes of solid granite into 8 monumental sculptures in a six week schedule by cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing is no small feat and requires as much effort out of our tools as it does from our artists and interns.  The 2016 edition saw us go through dozens of power tools and consume over 250 diamond-tipped blades to complete the works.  

                              Tax receipts will be issued for all Canadian donations for $10 or more

Your donations go directly towards:

• Honorariums for our participating artists and interns
• Food & Lodgings
• Tools & Equipment
• The 120 tonnes of granite boulders and the operational & logistical challenges that go with moving them!
• Educational programs for at-risk youth

The Impact

We make communities more vibrant through the permanent installation of public art installations.  The legacy of Sculpture Saint John will be measured by the quality of the 38 masterfully-created works of art that dot the sculpture trail.  

• Each of the existing 22 sculptures from our 3 previous symposia serve as place makers for their communities and act as natural gathering spots enriching them with their lasting beauty 
• This year will see that total rise to 30 permanent installations 
• Some of our previous interns have gone on to become professional sculptors themselves and credit much of their success to Sculpture Saint John
• Our 5th and final symposium will take place in 2020 and the sculpture trail will be complete with 38 pieces of public art free and accessible for generations to come 

Risks & Challenges

The challenges of transforming eight 10-tonne boulders of solid granite into sculpted pieces of polished artwork in a compressed six week timeframe is a testament to the talent and hard work of our artists & interns.  But the work does not start and end there for our administrative staff and dedicated team of volunteers who work equally diligently throughout the year to make it look easy.  Each symposium presents its own set of unique challenges in pulling off a world class sculpture symposium that is open and accessible to all though the one constant in each of the previous symposia has always been funding.  However the kindness of our likeminded donors who value the beauty and the enduring legacy the symposium creates continues to motivate us to persevere.  The end justifies the means.  We just need your help in getting there! 

• This is the 4th edition so we are getting good at overcoming boulder-sized obstacles! 
• But our achilles heel – the lack of funding – is ever-present and we need your help in overcoming it! 

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you aren't able to contribute financially to our project, that doesn't mean you still can't help.  Please help us get the word out by sharing this across your social platforms and tell your friends and relatives about the great work we do.  Remember that it takes a village to raise a sculpture! 

• Help us spread this campaign through your networks helps us get our message out in front of people we couldn't otherwise reach!  
• Volunteer! We are always looking for capable and hardworking individuals to get involved!  Come out to the site and be a part of this amazing event!
• Visit our outdoor sculpture studio in beautiful Saint John, New Brunswick.  The event runs August 9th - September 22nd.  We promise you will be amazed with what you see!
• Download our free app to guide you through the sculpture trail and get out to see these beautiful sculptures in person!  Don't forget to use our hashtag #sculpturesaintjohn in your photos!