Artists have to learn to absorb the slings and arrows that come from exhibiting work in public, but if they're Alberta artists based in Canmore they also have to take itchy antlers turning their art into a scratching pad.

That's what Canmore artist Lisa Tornack discovered when she was commissioned by the Town of Canmore to create The Nest, an art installation that she placed near the Mineside trail site.

Made out of natural materials — it's a temporary piece that's only meant to last a season or so — Cormack created a large nest or basket shaped installation made of burlap and wood and other natural materials, like rocks and willow branches.

It all seemed to be going well, until she heard a report that someone had shot a video of an elk interacting with The Nest.

Or was it reviewing it?

Only the elk knows — and Tornack isn't too concerned either way.

"The elk was basically rocking and rolling the large nest or basket shape around the site," she said on the Calgary Eyeopener.

"My initial reaction after seeing the video was, is he playing with the work? Did he respond to it in this way?" she said. "But I later in reality came to find out the elk was more than likely trying to remove the velvet from his antlers and actually when I went to repair the piece, there was evidence of that. There were strips of velvet laying around the nest sculpture."

"There's definitely been some damage to the work," she said. "I went to the site to do a little repair and it's been moved a bit too as well."

While the elk interaction was not something Tornack had in mind, it's also not too far removed from the original project intention to worry too much about, either.

"When it was made the work, the willow was very green and flexible," she said. "And then over time, it dries and becomes much more rigid, so that rocking and rolling that happened with the elk damaged the piece.

"But it's part of it," she adds. "It's a temporary piece. It's only up for a few months, so part of what it is is how it evolves over time.

"It's not exactly the same as when it was first installed but it's still intact. It definitely makes for a good story."

The installation is still on the Mineside trail site, but tucked away a bit near a creek, rather than its original location, which turns out to have been an elk corridor.

As far as how that videographer happened to be there right when the elk interaction happened, Tornack doesn't see a conspiracy or a staged elk intervention, or anything like that.

"It's a very small, tight-knit community," she said. "But when we were installing the images, people were very interactive and wanting to engage with me and talk about the artwork. So I think it's just like any small town — people know what's happening in their community and want to keep an eye on things, and I think one of the residents happened to be in right place at the right time."