Gordie Howe International Bridge

The Visual Art Program on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project was developed to create memorable, high-quality, works of art consistent with the international importance of the bridge and to celebrate and promote creativity and friendship between Canada and the US.
Multiple artistic features have been incorporated into the project as a result of ongoing community feedback to integrate cultural and historical recognition features where possible.

Inclusion of public art in the project originated from input received during the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) study. A commemorative art feature will also be incorporated into the Canadian Port of Entry, along with several local art-related initiatives funded through the Community Benefits Plan.

In addition, visual and aesthetic elements have been incorporated throughout the project. At the US Port of Entry, the concrete cladding exterior on the US POE main building was designed based on the soundwaves of “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

Public art is an integral part of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project overall aesthetics and is the result of years of public and stakeholder consultation. Multiple art commissions have been identified for inclusion into the project, as a result of the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) study. These include:

an artistic building façade at the Canadian Port of Entry
a standalone Indigenous art commission
dramatic and dynamic bridge lighting.

Public consultation has been and will continue to be undertaken on each artistic commission to help inform the artist’s themes and ideas. These events will provide the opportunity for the public to meet the artists and enable feedback on concept development.

Artistic Building Façade

An artistic building façade has been integrated into the exterior of the maintenance building at the Canadian Port of Entry which will provide a welcoming and unique experience for future users of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Unveiled on February 15, 2023, this commission features the work of artist Sara Graham, a Canadian artist from southern Ontario and is currently based in Port Moody, British Columbia.

Titled “On the Other Side of Tomorrow,” the façade is composed of 22 stamped concrete panels, each, approximately 3x7 metres/10x23 feet. The work reflects national and regional Canadian landscapes and was achieved through the incorporation of illustrative mapping techniques and a combination of different optical perspectives. Elements included in the artwork represent suburban areas, industrial zones and farmland, as well as artistic renderings of mountains, treetops, road systems, lighthouses and water.

Learn more about this commission and view the photo gallery.

Indigenous Art Commission: Aazhoge  

The second public art commission was installed in October 2024. Titled Aazhoge, the 3-metre/10-foot-high free-standing sculpture is a contemporary reflection of the culture and traditions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, with emphasis on local Anishinaabe First Nations.

Aazhoge is the Anishinaabe word for bridge and can also mean crossing over or seeing other planes of existence. Created by renowned Anishinaabe artist, Michael Belmore, the artwork is prominently located within the Canadian Port of Entry, visible to travellers as they enter and exit Canada. Michael Belmore is based in Newmarket, Ontario and was chosen for this commission following an extensive selection process in 2023. 

Learn more about this commission.

Aesthetic Bridge Lighting

Dramatic aesthetic bridge lighting will be incorporated into the bridge design as an artistic feature displayed along the skyline at night. This will include a dynamic light concept designed in collaboration with an artist that highlights the symbolic connection linking Canada and the U.S.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project team is pleased to announce the completion of its artist selection process for the Aesthetic Bridge Lighting Commission. Douglas Coupland, a renowned Canadian visual artist, will develop the commission to be installed on the bridge.

Read the news release to learn more about the artist.

The land where the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is located holds a rich historical past. For thousands of years, it has served as Anishinaabe Territory for the Three Fires Confederacy, consisting of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. The Sandwich, Ontario, community in Windsor is also the oldest continuous European settlement area in Ontario, with French settlers arriving in the late 1700s. And to many escaping the US slave trade through the Underground Railroad, Windsor-Detroit was a destination representing hope and freedom for themselves and for their offspring.

To commemorate the area’s role on the Underground Railroad and to recognize this important part of history, the project will include artwork in an accessible location at the Canadian Port of Entry. The commission is anticipated to be a free-standing work of art (sculpture) that will symbolize hope and freedom, and act as an expression of Canadian identity and history.

WDBA has worked with local organizations to develop the commission and will continue to offer opportunities to collect feedback from local members of the Black, African and Caribbean diaspora and broader Windsor-Essex community, to share with the artist.

In addition to continued collaboration with the Detroit River Project and the Essex County Black Historical Society, WDBA appreciates the donation of materials and the installation of concrete provided by Amico, a Windsor-based company, to support the commission.

The final art concept will be unveiled in early 2024 with installation coinciding with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

Read the news release and fact sheet to learn more about this commission.

Artist Selected to Create Commemorative Artwork

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project team is pleased to announce the completion of its artist selection process for the Commemorative Art Commission recognizing the Underground Railroad. Jordan Sook, a contemporary mixed media artist, will develop the commission to be installed at the Canadian Port of Entry.

Read the news release and spotlight story to learn more about the artist.

Mentorship Opportunity

As part of the Commemorative Art commission, a mentorship is available for an artist of the African, Black or Caribbean diaspora, between the ages of 18-35, living in Windsor-Essex, with experience in any artistic medium. The successful candidate will work closely with artist Jordan Sook to learn the creative process that goes into commissioning and installing a large public artwork. The successful candidate will receive a paid honorarium. The application period is now closed.

Artistic Concept

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project team is pleased to unveil the artistic concept developed by contemporary artist, Jordan Sook, that recognizes and commemorates the region’s role as a destination for freedom-seekers of African descent leaving behind slavery and oppression by travelling the Underground Railroad to Canada.

Between 1800-1860, more than 30,000 refugees from slavery and free people of African descent used the network and routes of the Underground Railroad to reach freedom with many of them crossing the Detroit River to Canada.

Mr. Sook has developed a concept for a free-standing sculpture entitled “Make a Joyful Noise” that symbolizes hope and freedom for past, current and future generations.

A sketch of the concept will be on display at Art Windsor-Essex along with some of Jordan’s Sook’s original works until fall 2024.

WDBA appreciates the donation of time and expertise provided by Public Art Consultant Karen Mills, as well as materials and the installation of concrete provided by Amico, a Windsor-based company, to support the commission. 

The Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan delivers a series of initiatives based on community feedback that advance economic, social or environmental conditions for the local communities. Through partnerships with area organizations and artists, many of these initiatives have incorporated art-related projects in various media that celebrate the culture and history of immediately adjacent communities on both sides of the border. These include:

Bridge Tower Artwork

For nearly three years, colourful murals graced the tops of the two bridge towers, reflecting the history and culture of Southwest Detroit and the local Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

The murals were affixed to the tower jump forms, which provided a safe space for the workers as they constructed the bridge towers. With the towers at their final height of 220 metres/722 feet, those jump forms have been removed, allowing the public to see the elegant silhouettes that will hold the weight of the bridge.

The Canadian murals reflect Indigenous knowledge and tradition, and were painted by Paul White, Teresa Altiman and Daisy White from Walpole Island First Nation and Naomi Peters from Caldwell First Nation. Two of these murals have found homes with the Canadian Transportation Museum and Heritage Village, located in Essex County. The third mural has been accepted with gratitude by the City of Windsor, through its Community Services Division, in partnership with Museum Windsor and Art Windsor-Essex (AWE). Each organization will identify the best way to display the murals, which will require reassembly and touch-ups.

Painted by Southwest Detroit artist, Roberto Villalobos, the US murals celebrate the area’s strong history with the trades and pride for the City of Detroit and America. The murals have found permanent homes with the City of Detroit, Ironworkers Local 25 and Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights Local 687. Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights Local 687 graciously provided delivery of the giant mural panels to the City of Detroit.

Learn more about these installations

Sandwich Neighbourhood Art Project

Four functional art pieces, including two new picnic tables and two wayfinding signs, were installed in the Sandwich community at Queen’s Dock Park and the Dominion House Tavern garden through Life After Fifty’s West End Art Project in 2020. The project involved local youth and the surrounding community in the development of community art that celebrates the culture and heritage Sandwich/west Windsor.

Learn more about these installations.

Fort Street Bridge Project

Visitors to Fort Street Bridge Park in Southwest Detroit can learn more about the area’s history, by interacting with a sculpture that serves as the centerpiece of the park. The sculpture was installed in 2020, in partnership with Friends of the Detroit River, on behalf of the Fort-Rouge Gateway Partnership.

Local Southwest Detroit artists, the Nordin Brothers, designed and fabricated the art piece titled “March On.” The sculpture is made of salvaged metal materials from the former, historic bascule bridge that spanned the river at the park site and has been designed to symbolize the 1932 Hunger March and the restoration of the Rouge River.

Learn more aboutt his installation.

Community Organization Investment Funded Art Projects

The Community Organization Investment initiative is a five-year commitment to provide an annual investment allowance to non-profit and charitable organizations located in or serving residents of Sandwich/west Windsor and Delray/Southwest Detroit to support events, programming and infrastructure improvements that benefit these communities. Several art projects have been invested in through this initiative, including:

Three films created by Essex County Black Historical Research Society titled “Across the River to Freedom: Early Black History in Sandwich, ON“
Look Again! Outside partnership with Art Windsor-Essex which includes the installation of several life-sized reproductions that are relevant to the history of the Sandwich neighbourhood in the community
Creative Placemaking in Southwest Detroit programming which includes the installation of new art installations in Southwest Detroit through a partnership with Urban Neighbourhood Initiatives.

Future art initiatives:

Delray Neighbourhood Art Project

The project team will work with local artists/youth to create at least one mural within the Southwest Detroit community through the Southwest Urban Arts Mural Project.

Bike Rack Design Initiatives

The project team will create and run a contest for local artists to design one-of-a- kind, locally inspired bike racks that can be installed at various community locations/trailheads within the trail networks and local communities connecting to the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Activities are anticipated to begin in 2023.

Learn more about these projects.

Over several years of community engagement, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project team has heard the importance placed on acknowledging the region’s multi-faceted past and present. As a result of this feedback, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) has formed a partnership with Art Windsor Essex (AWE) that celebrates significant historical and cultural aspects of the region. As of March 2023, two unique exhibitions have launched through this partnership.

March 24, 2023 – May 2023
Sara Graham: Cut-outs, Offcuts, and Cast-offs

Sara Graham’s exhibition included reproductions of the artistic building façade incorporated into the Canadian Port of Entry titled “On the Other Side of Tomorrow” which was displayed alongside other original artwork. Sara Graham’s work explores ideas and issues of the contemporary city, looking at the connections and disconnections between the built environment and the landscape it occupies. In addition, educational and community-based programming was available to Windsor-Essex schools and special interest groups

August 12, 2021 – January 2022
The Bridge Artists Exhibit

The Bridge Artists exhibition featured a selection of drawings, paintings and textiles from the Anishinaabe artists Teresa Altiman and Daisy White of Walpole Island First Nation and Naomi Peters of Caldwell First Nation who were commissioned to create the art murals displayed on the bridge tower forms at the Canadian project site in 2020. A 20-foot scale model of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project was also incorporated into the exhibit, alongside the artist’s’ work. Educational and community-based programming was provided through workshops and a digital study guide available to Windsor-Essex schools. Over 2000 people attended the exhibit and the digital study guide reached over 196 classrooms or 4,700 students.

Learn more about this exhibit.