ongoing projects

The Works Community Canvas YMCA Initiative

The Works Community Canvas YMCA Initiative is a partnership between Don Wheaton Family YMCA and The Works International Visual Arts Society. Launched in the fall of 2007, this program sees an Edmonton artist exhibit in Don Wheaton Family YMCA curated by a youth curator. At The Works, we believe that placing art in public places allows for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience, learn about, and appreciate visual art.

For more information about the artist or sales contact the curatorial team at The Works:
Phone: 780-426-2122  ext 228
curatorial@theworks.ab.ca                

Location: The Works Community Canvas YMCA initiative is located at Don Wheaton YMCA 10211 102 Avenue - Main floor

Erika Germain, Ever-Patterned Collapsing Grid, Oil on Canvas, 6’ x 18’, 2021. Panorama photo by Au7umn.

Erika Germain (She/Her) is an emerging artist currently based in amiskwaciywâskahikan on Treaty 6 Territory (otherwise known as Edmonton, Alberta). She received her BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2018, and her MFA from Cornell University in 2022. Her practice has been situated within the contexts of Vancouver BC, central New York, New York City and most recently has expanded across Canada.

These paintings are made up of the translations of textual sources into painted space. This is done by creating systems where each letter in the alphabet is assigned a colour. Each letter A becomes cadmium red, each letter B ultramarine, and so on, until the text exists only in the languages of colour, gesture and form. Using textual sources such as literature, poetry, personal writings, and writings collected from viewers, the paintings bridge the space that exists between spoken and written meaning, and a visual and physical experience of meaning.

Find the complete Artist Statement and Biography at the Don Wheaton YMCA.

Previous Exhibits: 

Misty Ring (2023), Megan Klak (2022-2023), Madeline LeBlanc (2022), Emmanuel Osahor (2019-2022), Adam Slusar (2019), Borys Tarasenko (2019), Agata Garbowska (2017-2019), Alexandra Gusse (2017), Lindsay Kirker (2016-2017), Megan Warkentin (2015-2016), Lucille Frost (2014), Scott Cumberland (2014), Jenny Keith (2013), Glenn Guillet (2011), Justin Shaw (2010), Josée Aubin Ouellette (2009), Michal Wawrykowicz (2008), Tim Rechner (2007), Nicole Galellis (2006).

Past projects

The Works Gallery at Jackson Power is a unique venue made possible through a partnership between The Works International Visual Arts Society and Jackson Power Electric. Through this program, the space is used as a gallery twice a year to exhibit contemporary artworks and to promote critical dialogue through writing about visual art. The first exhibit in the program was "Manus," curated by Sean Borchert in the Spring of 2013, followed by "Text Crutch," curated by Robert Harpin in the Fall of 2013. In the spring of 2014, Olivia Chow curated "Gastrosophy," and the following fall Stacey Cann curated "Installation View" and in 2015 Tim Rechner curated "Telepathic Eye and the Aesthetic Voice". Exhibits were organized by the Society as part of year-round programming.

The Works Public Art Gallery, in partnership with Shaw Conference Centre, showcased the talent and creative energy of the arts community in Edmonton and its surrounding regions. The first exhibit featured the artwork of Glenn Guillet.

The exhibit and website explore Edmonton's history in the context of Queen Elizabeth II’s three visits to Edmonton since her Coronation in 1953. The exhibit features images, collectables, and memories of the 1959, 1978, and 2005 royal visits from public archives and contributions by Edmontonians.

The reception launched a website with commentary by Edmonton’s Historian Laureate, Shirley Lowe, and offers visitors the opportunity to contribute to the community archive around these visits, and these times in Edmonton’s development.

Sixty Years is the final component of an ongoing project to work with Edmontonians to activate community memory around the growth of Edmonton and to engage youth in Edmonton’s history during Elizabeth II’s reign as queen. Other aspects of the project have included collection events and an in-school art program.

View exhibit poster
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