‘Bird Set Free’: New art sculpture installed in Woodstock inspired by legendary artist

A local artist unveiled her 'Bird Set Free' sculpture during a ceremony in Woodstock on Saturday. CTV's Brent Lale with the story.

Artist Urszula Kumala-Thomas released a pigeon as a symbol of her newest art sculpture.

‘Bird Set Free’ is the name of the piece located in the Bruce Flowers Sculpture Garden at Florence Carlyle Park in Woodstock.

It commemorates the life and legacy of groundbreaking woman artist Florence Carlyle, and sits in the park named after her.

“Her nickname when she was growing up was bird,” said co-creator Duane Kumala-Thomas.

“That’s what kind of struck the chord that sparked the whole sculpture, from a concept. There are three parts to it. There’s the cage, which is a bird cage which is open at the top, which kind of speaks to the constraints that women were dealing with in that time. Inside there’s a bird, which again speaks to Florence and the release, a symbol of freedom,” she explained.

The project was the result of a legacy grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage, a jury selection process and community consultation.

Florence Carlyle grew up in Woodstock and rose to international prominence as a painter in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

This is the second installation in the Sculpture Garden.

“It’s meant to be interacted with,” said Alexandra Hartstone, director and curator of the Woodstock Art Gallery. “You come and visit and there’s going to be honeysuckle growing from the ground, and it’s kind of almost going to feel like it came of the earth. It’s just really special to engage with. It’s meant to be touched. It is meant to kind of sit inside, contemplate and look up at the beautiful bird that’s in there.”

The piece has been in the park since November 2025, but Saturday marked the finishing touch.

Baird Machines installed the bird at the top.

“In the original design, there was a perch that was going to be in the middle, and then we made a decision from an accessibility standpoint to remove the perch so that anybody could come in and have the experience of being there inside,” said Duane.

“When you look up, you see a rainbow of colors, which is again another symbol and then you look up and you see the sky and you see the birds and you see the rainbow in the sky. So, to see it come to life like this is super beautiful,” he concluded.