Century Street Parkette Public Art Competition winner announced

HAMILTON, ON - A volunteer jury of citizens, artists and project stakeholders has selected the proposed work, ‘Convergence’ by Hooman Mehdizadehjafari as the winner of the City of Hamilton’s Century Street Parkette Public Art Competition.

The winnng proposal was selected from 40 submissions based on the response to the competition’s goal and themes, appropriateness for the site, artistic excellence, technical feasibility and over 200 comments from the public.

The proposed design is described by the artist as an “abstract art bench in an expressive form that moves along the outer borders of the central oval area of the Century Street Parkette.” He notes that “Convergence represents the coming together of ideas and expertise from multidisciplinary backgrounds in order to achieve a common goal for the betterment of the larger community.”

Quick Facts

• Hooman Mehdizadehjafari is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian visual artist and designer based in Vancouver, Canada, who graduated from the Tehran University of Art with a Master’s in sculpture and painting.
• The elliptical stainless steel and composite wood art work will be installed by the City at the center of the new Century Street Parkette at the corner of Wentworth Street North and Wilson Streets. Fabrication of the work is expected in winter of 2021 - 2022 with installation to follow by the end of 2022.
• Public art helps strengthen the city’s visual identity, stimulates the economy, and enhances tourism and community pride.
• Since 2010, the City’s public art program has received over 655 artist proposals, consulted with over 9,300 members of the public, and awarded 54 public art commissions

“Congratulations to Hooman Mehdizadehjafari for having his artwork “Convergence” selected for installation at the Century Street Parkette. This artwork will serve as the final touch at the Century Street parkette which has undergone an exciting transformation which many residents are appreciating in the neighbourhood. Thank you to the volunteer jury for selecting a winning artist from the five extremely talented short-listed artist proposals.”

Nrinder Nann, Ward 3 Councillor

“This work was celebrated for its potential to serve multi-generational uses, from students meeting, to family and community groups of all ages interacting with the art.”

Century Street Parkette Public Art Competition Jury

“We would like to thank the members of volunteer citizen jury, the artists and all those that provided their comments for contributing to the success of this project.”

Carrie Brooks-Joiner, Director, Tourism and Culture

Additional Resources

• City of Hamilton Public Art
• Century Street Parkette Art Project
• Hooman Mehdizadehjafari