Martha Sturdy's new sculpture will take over Horseshoe Bay Park

West Vancouver's public art collection is gaining a monumental new work. District of West Vancouver council voted unanimously on June 8 to commission Standing on Shoulders, an 11-foot tall aluminum sculpture by artist Martha Sturdy, in Horseshoe Bay Park.

The piece features a sphere stacked on top of a cube appearing to be on the verge of tipping. According to Sturdy, it's intended to remind viewers of the precariousness of how we experience life, and to represent "the shared human experience of connection to place, connection to nature, and connection to the past."

"We build upon the histories of our ancestors and our paths are informed by those that came before us," Sturdy's statement reads. "We carry with us an often-subconscious connection to our roots, while spending our lives working to establish strong roots of our own. Horseshoe Bay is a place of coming and going, a place of memory-making, a place of new trajectories, a place of exploration, a place of shared family experiences, and a place of connection to the natural environment. Standing on Shoulders aims to encapsulate that."

Sturdy's connection to Horseshoe Bay runs deep. Her grandfather was one of the original homeowners on the west side of the bay. She spent her summers visiting him and drawing inspiration from the landscape before pursuing a career of international acclaim. In 2025, she was named to the Order of B.C.

Other works by Sturdy have been shown publicly in West Vancouver, but only ever temporarily at the Harmony Arts Festival and West Vancouver Art Museum. "Our committee considers her to be a major artist and an important figure in the West Vancouver art scene," said Erik Vaartnou, chair of the district's public art advisory committee. "Overall, the committee believes that this artwork would make a strong contribution to Horseshoe Bay Park and to the district public art collection."

The brushed aluminum will be covered in a clear coat finish to protect it from the elements and minimize maintenance costs. The district will spend up to $140,000 from its public art reserve to commission the piece. As of December 2025, that fund contained about $850,000.

Councillor Nora Gambioli noted a practical concern: some park visitors might perceive the sculpture as a climbing apparatus rather than public art. Vaartnou assured the council it will be designed and constructed to withstand scrutiny—and climbers. "I'll let my son know," Gambioli responded.