Deteriorating beaver sculpture moving indoors

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A public art sculpture of two beavers that’s long been part of Officers’ Square will soon be getting a new home in the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Fredericton’s livable community committee voted unanimously Thursday to relocate the limestone sculpture to the gallery’s new Harrison McCain Pavilion to keep it from deteriorating further after cracks and organic matter were found on it when it was moved to accommodate the Officers’ Square overhaul.

Claude Roussel, the renowned Acadian artist who carved the sculpture, said he’s “very grateful” for the move.

“No matter how durable the materials are, there’s a limit to everything,” he said. “I really appreciate that the gallery will take care of it. I’m really touched and humbled.”

The sculpture was commissioned by the provincial government in 1959 as an 80th birthday gift for Lord Beaverbrook, one of New Brunswick’s biggest benefactors, as a tribute that sat next to his statue. The beavers were originally part of a fountain that once sprayed into a wading pool.

Beaverbrook’s statue has since been moved to the green space next to the art gallery. When the province handed Officers’ Square over to the city in 2016, the beavers came with it.

“So many people have enjoyed the beavers over the years,” said Angela Watson, the city’s cultural development officer.

“When they were removed to make way for the Officers’ Square revitalization project, city staff noticed signs of deterioration and felt action might need to be taken before the sculpture was reinstalled.”

Watson said the sculpture was assessed by a professional fine art conservator after being moved. She said resin, blue paint leftover from the old wading pool, and multiple cracks were found, along with lichen growing in the cracks. Restoration work and finding the sculpture a new home indoors were recommended to keep the cracks from expanding and splitting the sculpture.

While considering where to put the beavers, Watson said, it was “top priority” for the new location to be appropriate and respectful of the sculpture, art, artist, and heritage. Protection, public access, and a space to provide context, education, and interpretation about the art were required, along with consultation with Roussel.

The city will retain ownership of the sculpture, Watson said.

“We have a responsibility to safeguard these beavers and ensure that they do not leave the city,” she said. “The art gallery was one of Lord Beaverbrook’s gifts to the people of New Brunswick, and the beavers were New Brunswick’s gift to Lord Beaverbrook.”