Edmonton Public Art Recognized with Urban Design Awards
Public art, be it intimate or intense; larger than life or human-scaled, is part of our urban and emotional landscapes. Successful pieces tell stories, act as a lens through which the past, present, and future can be viewed, unite people, and provide surprising juxtapositions while also beautifying their site, and defining their city. Three distinct public art works received recognition at the 2017 Edmonton Urban Design Awards on November 3. They each highlight aspects of our city while delighting the senses.
Read on for descriptions of AmiskwacÎw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin (Destiny Swiderski, Michael Phair Pocket Park), Tsa Tsa Ke K’e – Iron Foot Place (Alex Janvier, Rogers Place, Ford Hall), and #YEGCanvas (various artists in collaboration with Pattison Outdoor Advertising)
(Photo: Shirley Tse, Girl Named Shirl Photography)
AmiskwacÎw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin ~ Award of Excellence, Urban Fragments
AmiskwacÎw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin is immersive wayfinding that celebrates Edmonton’s people, history, landscape, and wildlife. Located in an alley flanking a downtown pocket park, the mural animates the space and leads to a larger adjoining park space.
Walkers are led from park to park by a flock of Bohemian waxwing birds. The swooping flock of 150 copper silhouettes depicts the birds in all stages of flight. Each is decorated with a unique storytelling pattern. The artist, who is of Métis heritage, facilitated a series of community-based workshops where community members were invited to tell their personal stories through drawings and pattern making. The artist then incorporated these images onto each bird.
There are 10 different Bohemian waxwing silhouettes used in the mural; flight studies were used to determine the images from takeoff to mid-flight and beyond. This procession is further accentuated by an aerosol painting depicting the edge of the boreal forest – Edmonton’s natural context and the landscape that is true to “this place”.
AmiskwacÎw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin places nehiyawak, or Plains Cree, spoken in the Edmonton area, within a historical context and hierarchy. The place name appears first as syllabics, followed by the Roman alphabet representation of the language, and lastly English – thus depicting the history of habitation within Edmonton. AmiskwacÎw Wâskâyhkan Ihtâwin expresses the Indigenous roots of this special place; a place to gather and share stories about the past, present, and future.
The jury said “This piece cleverly and ambitiously uses a difficult urban feature and context and turns it into a beautiful piece of art. The movement of the piece pulls you into the park, and cleverly bridges two important public spaces. The scale and typography portray a simple elegance and a utilitarian purpose. It would be great to continue the initiative of public art on remaining walls”.
(Photo: Dwayne Martineau, Laughing Dog Photography)
Tsa Tsa Ke K’e – Iron Foot Place ~ Award of Merit, Urban Fragments
Tsa Tsa Ke K’e evokes Edmonton’s landscape, seasons, and deep history as a meeting place for many cultures. The imagery is executed in a combination of Indigenous and contemporary art influences and techniques. Situated amidst the swooping lines of a major public space, and the linchpin of a public art collection, Tsa Tsa Ke K’e is a colourful compliment to the facility’s architectural style.
More than just a beautiful piece of art, this piece creates a focal point and gathering space within one of Edmonton’s most important new buildings
The jury was impressed, not just by the artistic merit, but by the story told by the piece calling it “a vibrant two-dimensional centerpiece”.
(Photo: Doyle C. Marko, DCM Photography)
#YEGCanvas 2015-2018 ~ Award of Merit, Community Projects
#YEGCanvas is a six-month, multi-year transitory public art exhibition taking place on billboards throughout Edmonton and on posters along the Capital and Metro LRT Lines. The project exhibits artworks from Indigenous, culturally diverse, and emerging artists. Over the past three years, #YEGCanvas has increased exposure of local art and artists, while delighting Edmonton’s commuters, pedestrians, and cyclists with art in unexpected locations. A mobile-friendly interactive map directs fans to the new art locations every two months.
The jury said “It’s great to see people engaging with billboards in a new way which contrasts their original intended use. This initiative promotes the work of many local artists”.
Click here for the 2017 EUDA Winners Booklet & information on all the recipients
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