Art & Design in Public Places Vision
“The vision of many different people working together toward common goals is catching on,” says Eric Newell, Honourary Lifefime Member of the Edmonton Business Council for the Visual Arts. “And, as we continue to move forward, it’s become obvious that the benefits of the Art & Design In Public Places Program will be widely shared and will last for generations.”

Art & Design in Public Places Summary
In cooperation with the City of Edmonton and pursuant to the Capital City Downtown Plan (1997), Art & Design in Public Places (The Places) was first introduced by the Edmonton Business Council for Visual Arts (The Council) in 1998. Subsequently, the development of the program was more than a year in the making and was launched in November 1999 as a community based, multi-partner initiative designed to help revitalize Edmonton’s downtown through the placement of publicly and privately funded works of art and design.

Recognizing that urban beautification enhances the overall environment in which residents live and work, The Places improves social and economic conditions in the community by introducing art and design projects each year. The Places raises the profile and livability of the area, and thereby increases the attractiveness of downtown locations for business, residents, and tourists alike.

The Downtown Business Association is the Host Organization for The Places under the Capital City Downtown Plan with The Works International Visual Arts Society (The Society) providing Executive Directorship for the overall program. Mechanisms are in place to encourage community involvement, overall transparency and accountability in the selection of art and design projects for development. Artists or designers are awarded commissions after local, provincial or national competitions are held. The Places partners with the Edmonton Arts Council as required in the review and selection of the competition entries through a two-stage community jury process. The Works Society provides Project Management and contracts the successful artist or designer to complete the commissions.

Funding and Partners Overview and Project Update

The Places has surpassed its initial goal of completing 15 projects (2.3 million value) in a 5-year period and has now raised over 4.8 million in funding invested into The Places (cash and in kind contributions) developing over 36 projects.  The Founding and Ongoing Partners for The Places include The City of Edmonton, the Edmonton Journal, the Downtown Business Association and The Edmonton Business Council for Visual Arts.

In 2008 The Places, completed its 33rd project working with The DBA to produce, “The Sir Winston Churchill Square Banners Project”.  Emerging and established artists/designers from Edmonton’s multicultural, new immigrant, and Aboriginal communities were invited to submit images that represent Edmonton’s diverse cultural make-up.  These images are displayed on large metal sculptural banners on Sir Winston Churchill Square. The Places also completed its 34th project, “The Lois Hole Memorial Library Statue Project” which depicts the late Honourable Lois Hole in her later years as Lieutenant Governor in the form of a life-sized bronze sculpture.  The statue was created by Edmonton Artist, Danek Mozdzenski, and is housed in the new Lois Hole Branch Library in the Callingwood area of Edmonton. The Places worked with The City of Edmonton on its 35th project, the “Louise McKinney Riverfront Park Development Legacy Project” to incorporate poetry on the existing light poles along the World Walk and River Promenade that will tell stories of Edmonton, its people and their relationship to the environment.  The Places also completed its 36th project “The Garden Frame Project” where, under the guidance of the Master Artist in Residence, three Edmonton youth artists were invited to paint, live on site, a mural on the existing utility shed located on the Muttart Conservatory grounds adjacent to the picturesque garden gazebo.

The Places educational initiatives to date have included: a total of seventy-one Scholarships awarded annually at The Council’s Gala; a total of ten Internships have been completed under The Places Internship Program, under the direction of the Executive Director, a Lecture Series introducing national and international artists, designers and architects to Edmonton audiences; Conferences and Symposia; Temporary Public Art Installations; and a year-round, self-guided, Public Art Walking Tour featuring a selection of works of art and design produced by The Places.

Currently, The Places is continuing in its third year of The Sculpture By Invitation Program, which, through an open call to Edmonton and Capital Region Artists/Sculptors, will be featuring three sculptures within the three niches of the Shaw Conference Centre DREAM.big Plaza.  Looking ahead, The Places will be partnering with developers to create a series of murals / artworks for new developments in the downtown adding to the ongoing Public Art Walking Tour experience.