Back to SearchThe City of St. Catharines is commissioning an original work of public art to recognize the significant contribution of Neil Peart. Interested artists and creative teams are now invited to submit a response to the Request for Prequalification (RFPQ).
“The Neil Peart memorial is an important project in our community as it celebrates the life of an amazing musician, lyricist and author who called St. Catharines his hometown during his formative years,” explains Mayor Walter Sendzik. “I am looking forward to seeing the vision artists have for the memorial, which will complement the Neil Peart Pavilion at Lakeside Park, as it will be a beacon for Rush fans to visit our community for years to come to celebrate and reflect on Neil Peart’s amazing contribution to his craft.”
After Peart’s passing in January 2020, St. Catharines City Council, with the support of the community, voted to name the newly rebuilt pavilion at Lakeside Park, Port Dalhousie, in his memory. The Neil Peart Pavilion at Lakeside Park, honours Peart’s connection to Lakeside Park, which inspired the lyrics to the famous Rush song of the same name.
The commemorative work of art will also be located in Lakeside Park. It will contribute to the identity and character of the area and will recognize the contributions of Peart to Canadian and world music.
“This initiative has had the overwhelming support of the community with more than 25,000 people signing an online petition to honour Peart with a memorial in Port Dalhousie,” said Manager of Business Planning and Strategic Services Eric Lamothe. “It is, therefore, something we at the City are very proud to support.”
Commissioning of the artwork is being spearheaded by the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force, which was also established by Council in early 2020. The task force has since been meeting to review options for the type and location of a memorial.
“As a committee we’re excited to finally be reaching out to artists,” said Neil Peart Memorial Task Force Chair David DeRocco. “There’s great anticipation to see what kind of creative and original ideas artists submit for this project. Neil set the bar incomparably high when it came to his own art, so we expect to receive some very inspired suggestions for what no doubt will become a mecca for his fans around the world.”
The artwork will be funded via a public fundraising campaign, which is set to launch in February at www.EngageSTC.ca/Neil-Peart.
All submissions received for the RFPQ will be reviewed by a selection panel. The panel will shortlist six finalists to participate on the design process.
Canadian artists can now submit an RFPQ for the Neil Peart Memorial via the City of St. Catharines website at www.stcatharines.bidsandtenders.ca. The submission deadline is Monday, March 29, 2021.
Subscribe