Born out of the woodshop of the Construction Engineering Technology class at Dunnville Secondary School (DSS), and now Water Wheel, a large, moving sculpture that celebrates our connections to local waterways, has been installed at DSS where it will continue to tell its story.
“This was the third project Dunnville Secondary School has worked on with Great Art for Great Lakes, an organization that has provided students with direct connections to the professional arts community,” said Regan Vankerrebroeck, Principal at Dunnville Secondary School. “This particular project has challenged students to look at the importance of water health and how our understanding of our relationship to it has evolved over time and through the lens of other cultures.”
Last winter, prior to the Covid-19 shutdown, the school welcomed visitors including Dunnville artist Gina Mcintee, the lead artist on the project, and collaborator Lynda Henriksen, who is a Water Walker – part of an Anishinaabe initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of water and the need to protect it. During a school-wide assembly, Henriksen demonstrated a water walk to share the traditions and wisdom that would be embedded within the finished artwork.
