''Big Things'' was a large-scale steel

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

exhibition series organized by the

North Edmonton Sculpture Workshop The North Edmonton Sculpture Workshop (NESW) is an artist collective, or artist-run initiative, centred on a co-operative shared studio in Edmonton, Alberta, focused on "the creation and promotion of ambitious Contemporary art, contemporary sculpt ...

for the

Royal Alberta Museum The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) is a museum of human and natural history in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The museum is located in Downtown Edmonton, north of City Hall. The museum is the largest in western Canada with more than exhibition space ...

's outdoor South Terrace.Gilbert Bouchard, "Come to Expect 'Big Things'", Edmonton Journal, July 19, 2002Erik Floren, "Big Impressions", The Edmonton Sunday Sun, July 28, 2002Mike Berezowsky, "Sculpture Exhibit Gets a Big Response", Edmonton Examiner, September 11, 2002 The exhibition series began as an effort to "expose the public to the richness and diversity of contemporary sculpture in steel, while encouraging a critical dialogue between artists."

Big Things

The inaugural ''Big Things'' exhibition in 2002 was the first time the

had ever displayed an exhibition of its kind, featuring nine large, abstract steel sculptures. According to the museum's assistant director Tim Willis, "''Dealing with abstract sculpture is not part of our core mandate.... It just goes to show how art can transform an inert public space''.Olenka Melnyk, "Big Sculpture, Bigger Worries Burden Artists", Edmonton Journal, July 12, 2004" Artist

Ryan McCourt Ryan McCourt (born February 23, 1975) is a Canadian artist best known for his sculptures.Terry Fenton, "Edmonton Sculpture: The Next Generation," Harcourt Expressed, Volume 12, Summer/Fall 2002 He lives in Edmonton, Alberta. Early life and edu ...

sought out the venue in part for its cultural context, and in part due to the inherent practicality of the site. "The context of it being at a museum was much more appropriate than having it at the Law Courts or outside the

Shaw Conference Centre The Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC, formerly the Shaw Conference Centre), is a meeting, entertainment, and convention venue located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Opened in 1983, it is managed by Explore Edmonton, the destination marketing org ...

," says McCourt, while also noting that the museum's large stone facade and open concrete terrace space is especially conducive to viewing large sculptures. Exhibited sculptures included ''Tilley'', by Mark Bellows; ''Valour and Cowardice'', by Andrew French; ''Radiant'', by Peter Hide; ''Midway'', by Ken Macklin; ''The Moment You've Been Waiting For'' and ''Spanish Castle'', by

; ''Almost Whole'', by

Royden Mills Royden may refer to: People Surname * Halsey Royden (1928–1993), American mathematician * Marmaduke Roydon or Royden (1583–1646), English merchant-adventurer and colonial planter, also a Royalist army officer * Maude Royden (1876–1956), Eng ...

; and ''From the Model'', by Susan Owen Kagan.

Big Things 2

Due to the success of the premiere exhibition, originally scheduled to just last the summer, ''Big Things'' was held over until May 2003, when it was immediately followed by ''Big Things 2'', shown from May 6, 2003 to April 30, 2004. ''Big Things 2'' featured work by the same artists as in the first showing, minus Kagan. Exhibited works include ''Lust or Love?'', by Mark Bellows; ''Florence'', by Andrew French; ''Modernist Man'', by Peter Hide; ''Easter Sunday'', by Ken Macklin; ''Inside Elevation'', by

; and ''Solus'', by

Big Things 3

Big Things 3 followed, on display from May 8, 2004 - April 30, 2005, with the same roster of exhibiting artists. The sculptures exhibited include ''Moorshead'', by Ken Macklin; ''Hindu Lion'', by Peter Hide; ''French Riviera'', by Andrew French; ''Bassinet'', by

; ''Arma'', by Mark Bellows; and ''Overture'', by

Big Things 4

Big Things 4, from June 3 to October 1, 2006, featured sculptures "Petra" by Simon Black; "Truth and Falsehood" by Andrew French; "Leviathan" by Peter Hide; "Caesura" by Bianca Khan; "Destroyer of Obstacles" by

; "Between Premonition" by

; and "Trojan Yak Genera" by Robert Willms.

References

{{reflist Art exhibitions in Canada Contemporary art exhibitions Sculpture exhibitions Canadian contemporary art Culture of Edmonton Tourist attractions in Edmonton Abstract sculpture Outdoor sculptures in Canada Sculpture collections