In October 2019, Centennial College students decided to enter the Winter Stations art installation competition for the first time.
The Winter Stations competition encourages artists, architects and designers from around the world to submit design proposals that incorporate the lifeguard stations along the beach.
This year’s sixth annual competition had four winning installations. The Noodle Feed, the Kaleidoscope of the Senses, the Mirage and the Beach’s Percussion Ensemble.
Jacabo Roldan, a first-year graphic design student at Centennial College, was one of the students who played a role in the making of the Beach’s Percussion Ensemble winter station.
“I got involved in winter stations in an early stage,” Roldan said. “My classmate Anna Rasti, who was already part of the team, asked me if I wanted to join. So without thinking too much about it I agreed,” Roldan said.
He said that although Rasti came up with the original idea of entering the Winter Stations competition with the Beach’s Percussion Ensemble, it was a collaborative project that included ideas from all the students involved.
Working on such a large project for three and a half months while still being in school was hard work for Roldan. He said this project was the students’ first big project outside of their school work.
“We are really happy with the overall experience. It taught us a lot,” He said.
With Roldan being a graphic design student, he mostly helped with the designing of this project. He also helped with the construction, painting and the installation of the actual art piece.
“I was there both days,” Roldan said about the building of the art installation. “I was also there for the opening and I’ve been back on two other occasions.”
When the installation was first installed, it consisted of three different structures made up of wooden boxes of all different sizes and colours. The structures include installations of steel drums and wind chimes made of bells.
Roldan said their head of construction proposed the idea to get local graffiti artists to tag the installation with different pieces of art. They group voted unanimously and has now been showcased with local art.
“People love it, especially kids. Since the installation is very interactive it’s common to see kids having fun with it,” Roldan said.
The students wanted the Beach’s Percussion Ensemble to show people that no matter where you’re from, we are all moved by the same thing. That thing is music.