The Saskatchewan Roughriders and the City of Regina have unveiled a new art display at Mosaic Stadium.
Located in the northeast commons of the newly built stadium, the art installation features an 18-foot-tall centerpiece statue made of white bronze. Adjacent to the statue are three “fan walls,” which are a tribute to the community, Rider Nation, the region’s indigenous heritage and our collective future. Each wall is 20 feet long and weighs up to 14 tons.
“Public art is an important part of the fabric of our community,” Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said in a news release Thursday.
“The statue and fan walls help emphasize that this stadium is a true community gathering place, inclusive to all. This area, along with the rejuvenated Confederation Park, will bring people together and showcase the legacy of this project, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the City of Regina.”
The white bronze statue celebrates football and athletic achievement while recognizing the community that supports the Riders and other teams that call Mosaic Stadium home. It was designed and created by the fine art studio of Rotbaltt-Amrany. The company has sculpted other iconic sports figures, such as Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Vince Lombardi, Gordie Howe, Magic Johnson and Harry Caray.
According to the release, the artwork on each of the three fan walls “represents our never-ending quest for greatness while valuing our sense of togetherness, pride and belonging.” The fan walls feature a granite side engraved with the names of fans who have contributed to the “Build The Pride” fan wall program.
When fully installed, the walls will hold the names of about 2,000 fans, who will be permanently recognized at Mosaic Stadium. The names on each wall have been specifically positioned to create silhouettes of children, representing the youth of the community.
“This incredible statue and the three fan walls are a direct reflection of our community, our province and our fan base,” said Gregg Sauter, the Roughriders’ vice-president of marketing and business development.
“The artwork unveiled today was made possible through the contributions of Rider Nation and our hope is that this location at Mosaic Stadium will be as much about inspiring future achievement, as it is about reflecting on the past.”
The community fan wall includes images of the Regina community, present and past, which have been etched into granite. The indigenous wall encompasses both the First Nations and Metis heritage, and the buffalo that is integral to their historical way of life, as well as Regina’s history. The future wall features a fingerprint embedded into stainless steel, which creates a ripple effect across the evolving physical states of water, representing how each of us leaves our print on the world. In the coming days, local artist, Lionel Peyachew, will be completing the painting of the indigenous wall.
“We are so proud to unveil this tribute to our fans and this community,” said Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds.
“We would like to recognize everyone who participated in making a contribution to the Build the Pride Campaign. We would like to specifically thank the Robert Kramer family for their significant contribution to the development of this space and their decades of support for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”
A plaque will be placed outside Mosaic Stadium to recognize the Kramer Family contributions.
