Botched disco hockey helmet heist at Memorial Cup in Kelowna puts public art in spotlight

Chantel Thederahn and Tyson Neufeld created something eye-catching for the Memorial Cup hockey tournament in Kelowna. A sculpture of a giant goalie helmet disco ball.

The work was suspended way up in the air near the Rotary Centre for the Arts during the tournament, but it came down when some seemingly drunk fans wanted to take it home for themselves.

“Event security had noticed a couple of apparently drunk people who went to all the trouble and effort to bring a wheelbarrow and a ladder to try and steal it. They caught them in the act, right next to a CCTV camera, hilariously, and staff took it down and handed it over to the RCMP,” Neufeld told iNFOnews.ca.

Before they were notified about the attempted theft, the artists walked by where it had been displayed and found that it was gone. The went to social media believing it had been stolen. Once they were informed about what happened they went and picked it up safe and sound.

The piece titled Mirroring was part of a Major Event Artist Grant from the City of Kelowna that funded five public art pieces for the Memorial Cup, as well as several works for the Canadian Country Music Awards last year which Thederahn and Neufeld also made a piece for.

Another sculpture, Wilde Fun at Memorial Cup by Nancy Wilde, a giant hockey playing bear named Walt was also damaged while on display in Rhapsody Plaza near the dolphin fountain.

“A serious off ice collision left Walt in rough shape. Unconscious, black eye, bloody nose, dislocated shoulder and a broken paw will keep this bear out of the rest of the tournament. He is resting comfortably and will look forward to watching the final game tomorrow from home,” Wilde said in a social media post.

The artist took the damage in stride and refashioned Walt with an arm sling, and a bandage on his paw where his skate broke off.

Thederahn and Neufeld said they don’t want the attempted theft and vandalism to discourage the city’s public art grant program for future events.

“We want to continue to be able to keep making cool stuff for the public,” she said. “It’s doing more good than anything.”

Neufeld said by putting art around the community it gets everyone involved, spreading the Memorial Cup’s influence to more people than hockey fans.

“It really brings the whole city together,” he said. “Through all of this, the city has been great to work with. We’re so grateful for putting together these grant programs in the first place so we are able to make publicly accessible art like this.”

People who want to take home Mirroring without stealing it will be able to buy it soon.

“Like our CCMA art installation we’re probably going to sell it for a more attainable price for the public in case they want a piece of the artwork of Kelowna for these cool events that are popping up,” Thederahn said.