Team Gushue Immortalized in Sculpture

A special work of art is underway in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Brad Gushue and Mark Nichols are being rendered in an outdoor feature that will adorn a new multiplex and curling facility planned for the neighbouring district of Galway.

Sculpted statues are popular in mega-sports like soccer. The new work is believed to be the world’s second curling sculpture, but the first to feature specific athlete likenesses.

Former provincial premier and Galway development leader Danny Williams had previously announced the project in March. This week, a scale model was unveiled as well as images of a local artist at work.

Gushue and Nichols are the mainstays of Team Gushue dating back to the 1999 Canadian Juniors, despite a two-year period when Nichols moved to Manitoba and competed with Jeff Stoughton. A variety of competitors have anchored various front ends over the decades.

The artwork will feature the names of all athletes and coaches affiliated with the team, which presumably includes new second Brendan Bottcher, who joined the team in October.

Local artist Morgan McDonald was seen at work in a recent NTV feature.

“We certainly appreciate everything that’s been presented,” Nichols told NTV. “It’s overwhelming, a huge honour.”

The first curling sculpture artwork was unveiled in 2014 in the park surrounding the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“Pure Emotion” was created by Swiss artist and curler Björn Zryd out of Italian Carrara marble, but is generic in its facial features.

McDonald’s work shows Gushue sliding after releasing a stone, with Nichols brushing the stone.

McDonald has created and restored various statues throughout the province.

Team Gushue starts their next Grand Slam of Curling event at home in St. John’s next week. 

Their first game comes Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. local time against Germany’s Mark Muskatewitz, who competes in the men’s European Championship final in Finland on Saturday.