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The Town of Orangeville has unveiled a new tree sculpture as part of its unique collection of public art on display throughout the municipality.

The Hiker stands at the Townline entrance to Dragonfly Park. She is dressed for the day’s adventure as she looks through her binoculars at the scenic views, alive with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers. She has her solid hiking stick to assist as she walks through wetlands, forests, and meadows in this peaceful space.

“Orangeville is filled with opportunities to connect with nature,” said Mayor Lisa Post. “The Hiker celebrates the spirit of the many community members and visitors who actively enjoy the beautiful outdoor spaces throughout our town – what a wonderful addition to local public art!”

The sculpture was created out of white pine by local artist Jim Menken. The Hiker took one week to carve and stands at about 1.8 meters tall (2.3 meters with her base). This sculpture is one of many installations in Orangeville that feature Mr. Menken’s talent and creativity. Some of his more popular pieces include The Conductor, Coyotes, The Lion, and The Musicians.

Mr. Menken carves full-time in his Mono studio. His realistic depictions of people, animals and objects comes from his love of nature and countless hours spent outdoors. He is a graduate of York University and former teacher. Learn more about Jim Menken's work at jimmenken.com.

“It has been a pleasure working with the Town of Orangeville on the sculpture program,” said Menken. “The process of collaborating on a subject matter, completing it as closely as possible to the design, and then watching the capable Town employees install the finished piece, is always enjoyable.”

The Town of Orangeville’s tree sculpture collection can be explored using Driftscape, a free interactive mobile app. Visitors can follow self-guided tours or use the app to find specific pieces. Other public art pieces such as utility box artwork and murals are also featured in the app. To access Driftscape on a mobile device, visit driftscape.app.link/orangeville. For those without the app, a full digital guide can be found at orangeville.ca/digital-guide. With either tool, simply search for “hiker” to get started.