John-Phillippe Smith is the country’s official sculptor/carver, responsible for overseeing all sculptural work on Parliament Hill at a time when a $5-billion renovation and restoration project is under way.
The best way to understand more about the job (Smith was appointed in 2021) is this short video (here).
The Dominion Sculptor oversees the restoration of the Centre Block’s decorative elements, the astonishing number of stone carvings, many of them damaged by water or other forces since it was built between 1916 and 1927. They need to be restored or replaced.
Damage is practically everywhere. This is a good example. Designed in 1953 by then Dominion Sculptor William Oosterhoff, these faces represent four of Canada’s major industries: agriculture, fishing, forestry, and mining. The faces are a farmer, sailor, lumberjack and miner. (From Instagram, here)
Smith plays the dual role of carver and curator. He is responsible for documenting 100+ years’ worth of sculpture in Ottawa’s Parliamentary precinct and assessing its state of repair. He is also responsible for expanding that inventory, creating new pieces to mark state occasions and continually adding to the stone, wood and bronze décor on Parliament Hill.
The position of Dominion Sculptor was created in 1936 with both administrative and creative components in mind. When the federal parliament buildings were rebuilt after the devastating fire in 1916, the architect left approximately 3,000 unfinished blocks to be sculpted as time progressed, with just under 200 blocks waiting to be carved today. A look at the sculptors who came before Smith, here.
More on the Dominion Sculptor John-Phillippe Smith (pictured above) here.
More on the renovation-restoration of the Centre Block of Canada’s Parliament, here and in two videos at the end of this post.
Below, an interview with Smith about his background, issued by Algonquin College, his alma mater.
NOTE: Canada was called a Dominion from the country’s birth in 1867 until the passing of the Canada Act in 1982 which cut legislative ties with Britain, gave Canada its own Constitution and enshrined the new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms within it. Canada is no longer called a ‘Dominion,’ but the nomenclature has remained for the sculptor.
The renovation/restoration has required temporarily moving both the House of Commons and the Senate Chamber. Below, the temporary quarters for The Commons (in the renovated West Block of Parliament).
The Senate (better known as The Red Chamber, below) is now temporarily in the former downtown train station, across from the Château Laurier.
If you have time, here are two fascinating videos on the history and restoration of the Senate Chamber, and the House of Commons.
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Love this! and so timely… I am particularly charmed by those blank blocks, deliberately left to be carved over the coming decades. What wisdom, and humility, on the part of the original architects, who did not assume they should have the complete & final word.
This was really interesting…Thanks so much.
So glad you enjoyed it, such a treat for me as well to learn about this.
Wonderful.
Thank you so much, I am a carver and found this extensive essay to be very exciting.
I was fortunate enough to live in Ottawa for six months in 1969, and always wondered about the sculpting. But never imagined that there was such a skillful and influential group of artists supporting them.
You’re so welcome. I also had no concept of how the sculpting is handled, and found it all equally fascinating. One of the best things about blogging: exploring.