EAC Public Art Monthly :: May 10, 2018

(Tiffany Shaw-Collinge - portrait by Conor McNally)

Introducing the ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Artists ~ Tiffany Shaw-Collinge
ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ - Edmonton’s Indigenous Art Park is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018.

As the spring and summer progress, installation of the six artworks by Mary Anne Barkhouse, Duane Linklater, Amy Malbeuf, Marianne Nicolson, and Jerry Whitehead will be completed. In anticipation of the park opening, the YEGArts Blog will feature conversations with the artists about their artworks and the inspirations behind them.

The first conversation is with Edmonton Métis artist Tiffany Shaw-Collinge about her installation Pehonan.

(Installation of Pehonan underway - photo Will Johnson)

What is the inspiration behind your installation?
The work is in response to the idea of gathering. This location of the park and surrounding area was reported to have been a gathering place surrounding the North Saskatchewan River for thousands of years. At the time of the proposal I wanted to honour those stories by creating and make visible the opportunity to gather, and also encourage people to continue storytelling in its various forms.

Pehonan was a word I heard early on in the engagement discussions that the EAC created as part of the process for the invited artists to better understand the area and its context within the City of Edmonton. “Pehonan” is of Cree origins meaning "a waiting place", attributing to those who came to the area for trade, ceremony and to live. The stories shared with us early on were further verified once construction began.

Two arrow head points were discovered within months of each other along with animal bones and fire cracked rock. One arrowhead was reported to be 4,000 years old and the second that was found was called an 'Alberta' type point. 'Alberta' type points typically date to be about 9,000 years old and is one of the oldest style of points found in the province. These significant finds were further reassurance to this idea of gathering and the multitude of stories that have occurred in this area over time. ...

Edmonton Arts Council AGM

Save the Date ~ Please join us for the 2018 AGM, where the EAC will provide an update on projects and members will vote to appoint directors to the Board. The AGM will be followed by a member mixer over light refreshments and live music.

Date: Monday, June 4, 2018
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Location: The Club at the Citadel Theatre (9828 101 A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta)

Click here to RSVP

Membership Status

Members in good standing can vote at the Edmonton Arts Council AGM. You can check your membership status by logging into your account on the TIX on the Square website.

If you are unsure of your login credentials or have a question about your membership status, please contact our Executive Assistant Penelope Haro Aranda at 780.424.2787 ext 221

(Project Rendering of Holyrood LRT Stop - Adad Hannah)

Community Engagement Workshops :: Holyrood LRT Stop

Join artist Adad Hannah for community photography workshops on Friday, May 18, & Saturday, May 19, at the Idylwylde Library - 8310 88 Avenue.

These workshops are community engagement activities for the public art that will be installed on the glass shelters at the Holyrood LRT Stop on the Valley Line. The artwork will be a community-sourced, photography-based installation.

Over the next several months, Adad will work with a team of local photographers to capture the images and textures of the diverse Holyrood community. Photos will include interiors, people, textures, buildings, objects, and places that are important to the participants. The photography collection will become the source material for the final artwork – a series of textured, interlocking pentagons printed on the transit shelters’ glass walls.

The workshops will introduce the community to Adad’s artistic process, outline photographic techniques related to this specific project, and lead participants on photography outings as they build their pool of community images.

The workshops will run 12:30-4:00 on Friday, May 18 & Saturday, May 19, the afternoon will include a photography workshop followed by a neigbourhood walk and photography session

No photography experience is necessary. Participants of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. Refreshments will be available.

(Vaulted Willow by Marc Fornes & THEVERYMANY - photo D. Marko)

Call for Applicants :: Edmonton Arts Council Selection Committee Roster

The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton, requests applications from Edmonton-based arts professionals and arts-oriented community members to be included on our Public Art Selection Committee roster. Selection Committees reflect the full diversity of the City of Edmonton, including members of the city's Indigenous and culturally diverse communities, and artists at all career levels.

Public Art Selection Committees play a vital role in the Public Art commissioning process. Committee members serve as evaluators, providing recommendations for each public artwork commissioned through the City of Edmonton Policy C458B - "Percent for Art to Provide and Encourage Art in Public Areas".

Many submissions are reviewed each year. The EAC attempts to engage a wide spectrum of artists and community in this process. Selection Committees typically review all submitted artist proposals and project descriptions, as well as support material for suitability, relevance, and quality. Artist and Community Representatives are paid an honorarium for their time on the committee.

Please direct any enquiries to David Turnbull, Public Art & Conservation Director: or 780.424.2787 ext 222

The Edmonton Arts Council is committed to equity in all aspects of its work, and invites proposals from all potentially interested individuals. We thank all applicants for their time and professional interest in this call.

2018 Alberta Public Art Network Summit :: Presenters
Plan to join the Edmonton Arts Council from September 11-13, for the 2018 APAN Summit, Public Art – It’s Complicated, an exploration of the many issues and trends affecting the public art field.

The Summit will take place at the Matrix Hotel in downtown Edmonton, just steps away from the North Saskatchewan River Valley and Legislature Building grounds, cafes, restaurants, and public art.

We are excited to announce that Canadian artist and educator Justin Langlois is our Keynote Speaker.

(Justin Langlois, Emily Carr University)

Justin Langlois is an artist, educator, and organizer. His practice explores collaborative structures, critical pedagogy, and custodial frameworks as tools for gathering, learning, and making. He is the co-founder and research director of Broken City Lab, the founder of The School for Eventual Vacancy and curator of The Neighbourhood Time Exchange. He is currently an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Integrated Learning in the Faculty of Culture + Community at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and the Lead Artist on Locals Only with AKA Artist-Run in Saskatoon, supported through the Canada Council’s New Chapter initiative. He lives and works in Vancouver, Canada.

We have also booked our “centrepiece” workshop with Edmonton-based artists Jason Gondziola and Brooke Leifso. They will lead participants through a hands-on, experiential community art workshop that will address the theory and ethics of working with community.

(Jason Gondziola, Mosquers Film Festival Jury)

Jason Gondziola is a filmmaker and youth media facilitator who has been working in digital cinema production and community media for over a decade. While living in Montreal, he spearheaded the Say it Loud, Say it Proud! oral history and storytelling project in partnership with COHDS, CUTV and the Black Community Resource Centre. He is currently living in Edmonton and working with inner-city Aboriginal communities and high-school students to facilitate digital storytelling and oral histories.

(Brooke Leifso, Theatre Yes)

Brooke Leifso is a Crip multi-disciplinary theatre practitioner and Expressive Art Facilitator with an emphasis on Devised Professional and Community Art Practice. She has worked in various capacities with Theatre Yes, Northern Light Theatre, Latitude 53, and Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. She currently works as an Associate Producer with Edmonton-based Crip dance company, CRIPSiE. She is currently working on her MA in Expressive Arts Therapy – Conflict Transformation: looking at how the process of art making can create social change and resilient communities.

In this issue:

Click here to RSVP

Membership Status