The Secret Bench of Knowledge
The Secret Bench of Knowledge (formerly Secret Bench, Lost Paradise) is a sculpture created by Canadian artist Lea Vivot and produced in multiple castings. A prominent one is located at the entrance to the Wellington Street Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, where it was initially placed in 1989 on the artist's own initiative.[1] One year later Vivot removed it and it was replaced four years later by Eugene Boccia from Toronto. The sculpture was unveiled at about 9 AM on the morning of May 1, 1994 in front of a crowd of about 3000 people. The sculpture has many messages inscribed on it, written by school children, about the importance and pleasure of reading.
The Secret Bench of Knowledge | |
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Canada | |
![]() The Secret Bench of Knowledge | |
Used for those deceased {{{use_dates}}} | |
Unveiled | May 1, 1994 |
Location | near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
Designed by | Lea Vivot |
in braille |
Other locations for the sculpture include various cities in Ontario (including Sarnia), as well as Montreal (June 1989)[2] and New York City.
The unveiling of the new statue was done by Vivot, assisted by a young blind boy named Gabriel McBride, from Spruce View, Alberta, who inscribed his message in Braille.
External links
References
- Vivot, Lea. "Secret Bench". Archived from the original on 2015-02-01. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
- "Secret Bench sculpture in Montreal". dcMemorials.com. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
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