I was dismayed to see Nathan Scott’s bronze fisherman on Beacon Avenue was “rotated to offer better passage for pedestrians.”
Undoubtedly familiar to many, the man was portrayed by Scott looking up into the sky, and he still does, but at what? The whole point of the sculpture has been lost with this change, and strikes me as an affront to both the artist and the phrase “Sidney by the Sea.”
The fisherman’s gaze used to be fixed on the immovable North Star, which, through the ages, has guided countless sea farers. Even in downtown Sidney it was always there on clear nights, or between clouds. Shoes off and relaxed, the fisherman silently reminisced with anyone sharing his bench and following his gaze.
It is pointless to have him looking anywhere but at Polaris. I suggest the bench be moved nearer the sea, and away from the brightly lit street where people’s minds are on other things than stars.
It is a fascinating sculpture and a real asset to Sidney, and it is well worthy of a better location and perhaps a sign, encouraging people to sit and follow his gaze.
Robert Meldrum
Sidney