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I have lived in and around Ottawa for decades. And for decades, Jean-Félice Ceprano has been transforming a section of the Ottawa River right near downtown Ottawa, into a gallery of extraordinary rock art. Art that I and my family had never yet seen. Have you seen it?
Almost every year since 1986, late in every spring after the Ottawa River level drops, Jean-Félice transforms the 400 million year old limestone rock from the Ottawa River bed into a whimsical, varied and thoroughly entertaining gallery of balanced art.
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No glue, no mechanical connection, simply (as if turning rock into this beautiful array could be simple) eyeing each piece, and using small chips as shims, Jean-Félice creates beautiful and natural works of art.
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The River Bed Gallery is still open in early October 2007. If you wish to visit, here is a Google map that shows the area of the Ottawa River Parkway where Mr. Ceprano's art is located. You can zoom out on the Google map to orient yourself to his location.
Need a bit more enticement? Here's a short video slide show. Please click the play button.
Mr. Ceprano, if he is present, sells professinal photos of his work for the collector. There is no charge to visit the gallery. Ottawa's NCC (National Capital Commission) funds part of Mr. Ceprano's work.
If you wish to see the work of 2007, you'd best hurry.
Late in every year, when the water level rises and the late fall and grey winter winds start to blow, the wave and wind action scour his canvas clean.
Finely balanced rocks tumble, a base shifts, and one piece of art after another splits and cascades into the dark cold waters of the Ottawa River.
As the water level continues to rise, and winter's ice and snow blanket the gallery, there's little left of Mr. Ceprano's work to be seen.
Then, each spring, starting when the river level drops to below knee-deep-wading depth, Mr. Ceprano will spend about six weeks re-creating the statue art, piece by piece, some the same as the year before (he works from his extensive photograph collection) and some new pieces of art as a different shaped stone or pleasing combination suggests a new piece to his artistic eye.
His acres-large gallery of limestone works of art is born again.
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If you are interested in more information about Mr. Ceprano and his various art and media work, please visit the Ceprano Rock Arts web site.
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The picture just above depicts Jean-Félice Ceprano at work in his Ottawa River "studio" in late September, 2007.
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