Luminous Passage

Details

Year	2026
Artist(s)	Jill Anholt
Type	Sculpture
Medium	Corten steel, LED lighting and concrete
Site Location	CPR Pedestrian Bridge

Description

Luminous Passage is a sculptural installation that bridges the past, present, and future of this important site. The work draws inspiration from a historic lantern once integral to communication across the Canadian Pacific Railway. Reimagined at a monumental scale, the illuminated and interactive sculpture transforms this utilitarian object into a beacon of connection, linking visitors to the natural ecology and layered histories of place.  

Positioned beside the CPR pedestrian bridge, Luminous Passage serves as both focal point and gathering space within the north plaza. Rising thirteen feet high, the sculpture invites curiosity, reflection, and engagement. Its glowing form draws people in and creates a landmark for those crossing the bridge or exploring the adjacent trails. The artwork also functions as a unique and interesting seating node that anchors the site and creates a place of pause for all to enjoy.  

Fabricated from Corten steel, a naturally weathering material that gains strength and character through exposure, the work reflects the interplay between industry and ecology, permanence and transformation.  

Unlike its railway predecessors, this contemporary lantern does not signal passages of trains but instead illuminates the colours, living cycles, and seasonal rhythms of natural species that exist along the Red Deer River's edges. Its internal choreography of shifting light and colour changes seasonally to evoke the subtle, constant transformations of plants, berries, and other species surrounding the site throughout the year, reminding viewers that the world around them is always in motion, always alive and that they are an integral part of it. 

About the Artist: 

Jill Anholt is an artist based in Vancouver, Canada whose practice includes commissioned environmental and sculptural installations, and collaborative design team projects for public spaces across North America. She has received national and international awards for her practice, and her artworks, independently and as part of integrated design projects, many recognized for their innovation and successful role in placemaking and community building. 

Jill’s approach to creating art begins with a deep and thorough process of community engagement, contextual exploration, and discovery that results in experiential works that reveal invisible processes and hidden narratives in a poetic and thought-provoking manner. Her works explore the complex relationship between nature and culture: the interconnectedness and interdependence of human and earth systems and how natural systems can become sense-able through our bodies. Jill is also interested in the ways that humans imprint on the landscape and how natural processes continually alter and transform these constructions. 

Jill’s sculptural works and practice have been featured in national and international publications including The Wall Street Journal, Interior Design Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Art, and Sculpture Magazine. Jill has a diverse education that includes Sculpture, Architecture, and Human Sciences.