Underground Railroad commemorative artwork to be commissioned for Gordie Howe International Bridge

Art installation unveiled at Gordie Howe Bridge

A call for artists will be launched this month for an Underground Railroad commemorative artwork to be commissioned at the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

According to the Gordie Howe International Bridge project team, the new art commission will serve as an “expression of Canadian identity and history.” The piece will be located outside the Canadian Port of Entry in an accessible area will people will be able to gather and reflect.

“Recognizing the area’s rich and unique history is important to Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. The two communities united by the Gordie Howe International Bridge were influenced by those that sought freedom and refuge,” said Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) vice president of corporate affairs and external relations Heather Grondin. “We hope this art commission allows local residents and area visitors to consider today’s freedoms.”

A news release from the WDBA said the commission is in response to community feedback on the significance of the Underground Railroad to the area’s history. Over the past two years, WDBA has been working with organizations including Detroit River Project and the Essex County Black Historical Research Society to develop the commission.

“Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority has been diligent in trying to be inclusive of all the different cultures that have made this country great,” said Elise Harding-Davis, former curator, Amherstburg Freedom Museum. “As a member of the advisory committee, I am thrilled to announce that WDBA is going to be featuring African Canadian art, particularly focused on the Underground Railroad, the African Caribbean and pioneering Black Canadians have contributed a lot, and that bridge was a place where freedom started for many of us.”

The project team will launch a request for qualifications for professional Canadian artists of the Black, African and Caribbean communities living and working in Canada interested in the commission.

The project team said the commission is anticipated to be a free-standing work of art reflecting the themes of hope and freedom. 

Artist selection is anticipated to be complete in summer 2023. The final art concept will be unveiled in late 2023, with installation coinciding with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.

Interested artists are encouraged to apply. More information about the process is available online.