Respecting the Artwork: Why Climbing Causes Damage

On a busy summer day at Guild Park, chances are you’ve seen children climbing the sculptures and historic architectural features – sometimes being asked to step down by concerned visitors who understand that public art can easily be damaged.

When people bring children to the park, of course we want them to have fun – it’s nothing personal. But the purpose of the hand-carved artwork and architectural elements at Guild Park is appreciation and inspiration, not recreation.

A commonly heard question is: “But it’s a public park – why is climbing the art discouraged?” There are two key reasons:

• The artists and architects never designed these works to be climbed.

• According to City of Toronto officials – the custodians of these unique pieces – resources for ongoing maintenance are limited.

It may help to think of Guild Park as a gallery without walls. The sculptures and preserved architectural features are meant to be experienced visually and thoughtfully – much like the artwork displayed at Gallery 191 inside Guild Park’s Clark Centre for the Arts.

If a piece of carved stone is chipped, or a marble surface is cracked, scratched, or worn down through climbing, that feature loses both its detail and its meaning. Even though these works may appear durable, they are not designed to withstand physical use – and such use can shorten their lifespan significantly.

Lilla Lengyel, Graduate, Fleming College 

Cultural Heritage Conservation & Management  

Director, Friends of Guild Park