Gather Your Heart by Fredrick Spence at Odeon Park celebrates the meeting of Anishinaabe and Western musical traditions and the beauty that emerges when cultures come together. This sculpture invites people to reflect on the deep connections between music, storytelling, and community.
It was created as part of the development of a new public space designed to be both a lively festival site and a peaceful urban oasis, welcoming people to gather, relax, and celebrate.
At the centre of the artwork is a figure sitting cross-legged, holding a drum and mallet. The drum is shaped like a film reel, nodding to the adjacent Burton Cumming’s Theatre as a prominent music hub and historic film venue.
As the film unrolls, it transforms into the figure, and new shapes appear as you move around the sculpture. The figure’s upper body and head form a treble clef, while the raised hand and mallet create a bass clef. The crossed legs twist the notes into an infinity symbol, representing the lasting friendship between Métis and First Nations peoples.
The drum stands for the heartbeat of the community. The first strike, always the loudest, sends out waves of sound and energy, calling both human and non-human kin to gather. The raised arm, ready to strike, carries a message: it’s time to listen, not just with our ears, but with our hearts.
Etched into the film reel are the Seven Grandfather Teachings—love, respect, courage, honesty, humility, wisdom, and truth—reminding us how to live in harmony with one another.
Gather Your Heart is a place where people can unite, listen, perform, and share. It offers a tangible expression of the deep spiritual connection we share through sound, movement, and community.
Thanks to the park design team at Scatliff + Miller + Murray at Scatliff + Miller + Murray and fabricator Stainless Concepts for collaborating creatively with the artist to make this project a success!
