60 Years of Public Art in Edmonton
L: Al D. Girvan, 1966 R: Dwayne Martineau, 2012
It all began with a “spaghetti tree”. When Edmonton city planners commissioned The Migrants for the 1957 incarnation of City Hall, they sparked a lively six-decade conversation.
The bronze sculpture, which remains as one of 64 artworks at City Hall, formed the kernel of a collection that now contains 239 artworks by 302 artists. Of that, nearly 70% of the artists are local (or were at the time of selection). Our collection spans a myriad of mediums rendered in ancient techniques like mosaic as well as cutting-edge 21st century technology.
The City of Edmonton implemented C458c - Percent to Encourage and Provide Art in Public Areas Policy – aka “Percent for Art” – 25 years ago, in order to ensure the new City Hall would contain artworks by, for, and about Edmontonians. The Migrants – temporarily slated for “retirement” – was re-installed on the west side of the building following an outcry from citizens saying they would miss the iconic artwork. Since then, the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection has grown exponentially. City projects – including LRT, recreation centres, police and fire stations, parks, streetscapes, renovations, bridges, libraries, sports facilities, transit centres (to name a few) – are catalysts for new artistic visions that continue to animate our conversations.
In 2017, the Edmonton Arts Council Public Art team installed six new artworks and are managing more than 20 new and ongoing projects. The Conservation team repaired, cleaned, and maintained dozens of artworks including restoration of the Norman Yates mural. The EAC was honoured to receive recognition from Americans for the Arts (Public Art Network Year in Review – Amiskwâcîw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin, Destiny Swiderski); Creative City Network of Canada (Public Art Award of Excellence – Tsa Tsa Ke K’e [Iron Foot Place], Alex Janvier) and the Edmonton Urban Design Awards (Award of Excellence, Urban Fragments - Amiskwâcîw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin, Destiny Swiderski; Award of Merit, Urban Fragments – Tsa Tsa Ke K’e [Iron Foot Place], Alex Janvier; Award of Merit, Community Projects - #YEGCanvas in partnership with Pattison Outdoor Advertising, various artists).
2018 promises to be just as busy!
Read on for profiles of the new art; join us in the new year for previews of Calder Library, ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞, Tawatinâ Bridge and more.
Sometimes, Always, Even – April Dean (Paul Kane Park) This artwork connects park users to time and place as they enjoy the granite water feature in this downtown park. The words continuously flow around the water feature in a formally minimalist font, allowing an intimate experience of discovery across the white granite surface.
Thing 1 & Thing 2 – Lisa Turner & Paul Bernhardt (West Edmonton Mall Transit Centre) Mysterious pink and green objects glow from the walls of the WEM Transit Centre – investigating the relationship between advertising, product design, and the objects we desire. The artists were inspired by the art’s location, adjacent to one of the world’s largest malls, and drew on theories of psychology and consumer product silhouettes to create these low relief panels.
Turbulent – Jill Anholt (100 Street Funicular, Downtown) These turquoise metal ribbons are inspired by the swirling forms, and twisting, turning shapes that appear along the edges of water currents in the North Saskatchewan River. They are integrated onto the concrete benches at the funicular site and offer a playful opportunity for pedestrians to pause, sit, lounge, and have a face to face conversation with a friend or experience a chance meeting with a stranger.
Heart of the Valley – Black Artifex (Whitemud Equine Learning Centre) This intricate, pyrographed mural is inspired by the history of the equine centre site and setting in the river valley. The designs and motifs incorporated throughout are inspired by “western aesthetics” such as leather tooling, wood craft, and branding. The artwork is burned directly into the cedar siding adjacent to the main entrance, inviting viewers to touch and explore.
Esprit – Pierre Poussin (Alex Decoteau Park, Downtown) This red abstract sculpture celebrates the spirit of Alex Decoteau, Canada’s first Indigenous police officer; World War I veteran; Olympian, and first inductee to Edmonton’s Sports Hall of Fame. Composed of metal ribbons that intersect in fluidity, the sculpture evokes the silhouette of a man mid-sprint.
Resonant Progression – Royden Mills (Terwillegar Off-Leash Area) This artwork by Edmonton sculptor Royden Mills, consists of three sculptures placed in conceptually linked sites in Terwillegar Park. The sculptural components link the viewer now with a sense of history and the sounds of nature, as well as inviting contemplation and play. Each sculpture - Potential, Resonant Point, and Beyond Listening, contains an acoustic element that animates the site.
Borden Art Park Temporary Sculpture Loan Exhibition – Sandra Bromley, Kasie Campbell, Agnieszka Koziarz, Susan Owen Kagan This year, the sculptures featured within Borden Park changed. The new exhibition, featuring 11 artworks, represents more than 30 years of artmaking by women artists in Edmonton. The Temporary Sculpture Loan Program is part of the Edmonton Arts Council’s Transitory Art programming.
#YEGCanvas 2017 – various artists throughout the City of Edmonton #YECanvas returned for a third year featuring 45 artworks from 42 Edmonton artists on billboards around Edmonton and LRT posters along the Capital and Metro Lines. The artworks will be rotated every two months – the second iteration begins during the week of December 25! Use the interactive map to create a holiday artventure!