#yeglrt

Edmonton’s Valley Line Southeast LRT project reaches new milestone

Bridges have been said to symbolize flexibility and change. A freedom to move from one side to another. The new Tawatinâ Bridge, which now spans across the North Saskatchewan River, connecting the north and south banks, is no exception. Nor are the 400 panels of artwork that will be installed on the ceiling of the pedestrian walkway beneath it. The artwork was commissioned through Edmonton’s Percent for Art policy, managed by the Edmonton Arts Council, and is one of fourteen public artworks selected for the Valley Line Southeast LRT project. Artworks were chosen from a total of 260 proposals by a series of selection committees comprising community members, local artist representatives, and project personnel. Internationally celebrated artist David Garneau, whose practice includes painting, curation, and critical writing, was awarded the commission in 2017.

The 400 panels for the project were constructed from a material used for making signs so that the artwork would not corrode. Each piece was trimmed, gessoed three times, and finished with three coats of varnish—a process made easier thanks to many hands. In fact, though Garneau is the designer and architect of the commission, he considers this work a collective project rather than a personal one.

“I love making art as a form of self-expression. This work has some of that, but mostly it is truly a work of public art. Before lifting a brush, I consulted with First Nations and Métis people about what needed to be painted. Then, I worked with more than a dozen artists to complete the panels. While I researched and designed the panels and painted about half of them myself, many hands, minds, and hearts made this collection possible. It is more a collective expression than a personal one.”

Each piece was shaped, painted, and arranged to suggest interconnectedness between people and the other beings in the region. But as Garneau explains, though the arrangement invites narratives, the pictures are not stories—the stories are what people bring to the pictures.

“The paintings are images. They are visual fragments that need Storytellers to bring them to life. Stories are how we make meaning of them. Some will focus on settler readings, some will read for Cree or Métis narratives… there are lots of reading possibilities. Once the works are up, Storytellers, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers will lead a storytelling tour of the paintings. They will tell aspects of the stories needed at that time. Nothing will be written down. Memories of the stories will be shared with others, and Keepers will need to be consulted to revivify the stories from time to time.”

Garneau’s connection to the river valley and the bridge dates back much further than 2017 when he was chosen to complete the commission. His great-great-grandparents, Laurent and Eleanor Garneau, after whom the nearby Garneau district was named, owned the river lot (number 7) neighbouring Tawatinâ Bridge.

“We grew up in Edmonton and knew a little bit about my great-great-grandparents. Their presence made me feel connected to that territory. As kids in the 70s, we spent a lot of time in the river valley. The opportunity to work on the bridge was a way for me to honour that connection.”

As Garneau explains, the bridge and its restoration are also symbolic of relationships past and present.

“This project is a form of reconciliation. In 1885, Laurent Garneau was arrested as an ally of Louis Riel. He was threatened with hanging. He spent six months in jail. Chief Papaschase took care of the family—Eleanor and eleven children—during the imprisonment. Years later, after the Papaschase Band lost their land and the Chief was on the verge of destitution, Laurent built a cabin for his old friend in remembrance of the care Papaschase showed his family. With this project, and others, I have been able to rekindle the friendship between Papaschase Cree, in the form of present Chief, Calvin Bruneau, and Elder Fernie Marty, who I consulted for this work. The paintings also show the entwinement of First Nations and Métis people. There was a good relationship, and now it’s being restored. The bridge is in suspension between the two sides of the city. It was an important crossing place for all kinds of people.”

The finished panels have been sitting in storage in Edmonton for more than two years now, awaiting their installation, set to take place October 7 to 17. It’s an occasion Garneau has been looking forward to and is hopeful to share with generations to come. As he explains, the ways in which to interpret each panel are as multifaceted as the people who will look up at them.

“There are many ways to engage these paintings. There are familiar scenes, plants and animals from the region. There are paintings from historical photographs. Many panels are informed by Métis belongings in the Royal Alberta Museum. There are humorous juxtapositions, and there are even some hidden messages, codes, and references. There are images that lead to secret stories that only Story Keepers can reveal in person and at the right time. And many images are placed next to each other to suggest a particular narrative. I hope to keep people interested for many years to come.

David Garneau’s artwork for the Tawatinâ Bridge was commissioned through Edmonton’s Percent for Art policy, managed by the Edmonton Arts Council. It is one of fourteen public artworks selected for the Valley Line Southeast LRT project. Click here to learn more.

About David Garneau

David Garneau (Métis) is Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Regina. His practice includes painting, curation, and critical writing. He recently curated Kahwatsiretátie: The Contemporary Native Art Biennial (Montreal) with assistance from Faye Mullen and rudi aker; co-curated, with Kathleen Ash Milby, Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound, National Museum of the American Indian, New York; With Secrecy and Despatch, with Tess Allas, for the Campbelltown Art Centre, Sydney, Australia; and Moving Forward, Never Forgetting, with Michelle LaVallee, at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Regina.

The Valley Line Southeast LRT project is adding a splash of colour and texture to communities along the route thanks to the City’s Percent for Art Policy which is managed by the Edmonton Arts Council. 

The Valley Line Southeast LRT project’s public art collection will include 14 different projects, including art glass at five of the eleven stops and at Davies Station, five stop canopy sculptures, one mosaic, one series of paintings, and one inflatable sculpture. Additional opportunities for artists to get involved in Valley Line Public Art are yet to be announced. 

Individual artists, organizations and collectives submitted 260 submissions for the public art opportunities along the 13 km LRT route. Each submission was reviewed by selection committees made up of community members, local artist representatives, project personnel and City of Edmonton staff. The commissions were awarded to four Edmonton-based artists, three Alberta-based artists, one international artist, one Indigenous artist team, and one Métis artist. 

“I have a bright, dynamic approach to public art, to inspire a sense of wonder and beauty in common public spaces” said Shan Shan Sheng, the only international artist selected for the Valley Line Southeast public art collection. Currently based in San Francisco, she has completed more than 50 large-scale public art projects around the world, including the award winning piece Ocean Wave at the Port of Miami. Her works are designed to evoke a sense of wonder, nature and culture. 

Shan Shan Sheng was selected to create an art glass project for Davies Station. Located in an industrial area frequented by freight trains, Davies Station is elevated to prevent any rail right-of-way conflicts for LRT passengers moving through the area. The size and scale of Davies Station made it the most fitting location for a single large-scale piece of public art. Let’s take a closer look.

Fluid Landscape lit up by the station lights after all 53 panes of glass were installed.

Located on the north east side of Davies Station, Fluid Landscape was the first and largest of the public artworks from the Valley Line Southeast LRT project to be installed. It spans nearly the full length of the station. “Fluid Landscape will become an instant icon, a beacon of light in the urban landscape, offering a blend of color, nature, as a distinctive overlay and frame to the changing seasons of Edmonton, as seen from the transit station,” says Shan Shan Sheng.

From 75 Street, motorists can already see a colourful abstract wave across the glass wall of the station, but up close, passengers will see a blend of Alberta’s diverse landscapes, including the prairies, forests, lakes and mountains throughout the seasons. Fluid Landscape will be illuminated by the natural light that flows through the station by day and by the station lighting at night. 

From inside the station, passengers might even recognize some of the locations that have been blended into the piece. Here’s a sneak peak from inside Davies Station. 

Installation

Worker safety and special care for the glass panels were important for the installation process. The artwork spans 53 panes of glass, which needed to be installed individually by TransEd’s crew, using three lifts in tandem to install each piece. To keep the workers separated they each used their own lift. The glass panel was attached to a third remote controlled lift using suction cups. The suction cups held the glass panel securely in place until the workers could install the permanent hardware.

Check out our time lapse of some of the installation during some of the coldest days of November 2020. 

VIDEO: Glass Panel Installation.  One-by-one each panel was lifted and secured into position to create the complete artwork.

#YEGCanvas is a luminous spot in our long #yegwinters. The transitory exhibition places exciting and diverse art images on billboards throughout the city and along the Capital & Metro LRT Lines. From now until April, we’ll share the artists’ biographies and thoughts on their artworks. Reflecting the wide diversity of art on display, the artists’ words appear unedited in all their  whimsical, academic, reflective, funny, or poignant glory.

Today’s artist is Catherine Dubois

Title: Manmer Crossing the Alps Medium: Acrylic Paint  & India Ink on Bristol Year: 2016

Description: Manmer Crossing the Alps, can be found in the Stadium LRT Station until December 31. The artwork is a parody of Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps. This artwork is a commentary on the snobbery associated with ‘fine arts’ being more legitimate than cartoon/more stylized work.

‘Manmer’ is a reoccurring character created by Dubois. He’s described as a ‘reverse mermaid. 50% person. 50% fish. 100% stress’. You can follow his art adventures here - http://duboiscatherine.tumblr.com/manmer

About Catherine When she realized her dream of becoming a frog would not be achieved, Catherine turned her attention to the graphic arts and has not looked back. She graduated from Pixel Blue College in 2015 with a diploma in 2D Animation and Illustration. After being awarded a scholarship at the Gotta Minute Film Festival, she returned to school to complete a diploma in Digital Illustration and Sequential Arts at the Edmonton Digital Arts College in 2017.

Catherine has created works in a large number of mediums, from commercial animations to selling paintings at the Whyte Ave Art Walk. She works as a freelance animator and illustrator, and is currently the Artist-in-Residence at Happy Harbor Comics. 

The majority of Catherine’s work is satirical in nature, either poking fun or simply for the fun of it.

Once again, Edmonton transit stations are going to come alive with art. In a new iteration of the transitory public art project formerly known as #YEGCanvas, the Edmonton Arts Council has partnered with Pattison Outdoor Advertising and the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts to showcase 41 artworks representing a variety of artists with developmental disabilities who work out of the Nina.

“The previous #YEGCanvas project was a career highlight for a lot of the artists selected to participate. There is something really exciting about seeing your work on a larger scale and knowing that it's being seen by so many people as they go about their day-to-day travels,” says Janice Easton, Director of Communications & Artistic Outreach at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts. “When the EAC approached us about doing a similar project spotlighting artwork from the Nina specifically, we were thrilled. With a collective of about 200 practicing artists, we are in a unique position to provide a large, diverse collection of art in a short amount of time.”

The installation of the artworks began on October 12, and the works will be on full display throughout Edmonton’s LRT system over the next 24 weeks. Also on display are 41 digital posters rotating on the platform level of Churchill LRT Station corresponding to the posters displayed across the line.

“We tried to curate a range of mediums, subject matters, and styles that reflects the incredible variety of artists we support,” explains Easton. “We also considered the impact the posters may have on the viewers, and chose work that would surprise, delight, or intrigue folks as they wait for their train.”

Artist Rodney D. admires his artwork installed at the University LRT Station. Photo provided by the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts. 

Rodney D., one of the participating artists recently had a chance to visit his painting titled I Hate It Here, I Want to go Home at the University LRT Station. The painting is part of a series of work centered around the artist's experience at a school he was sent to as a child.

"I didn’t really expect [my art] to be out in public. When I first saw it, I was kind of shocked. I feel appreciated. Maybe other people might like it also,” says Rodney. “Back when I was younger the regular school system couldn’t really do anything with me so I was sent to a different school. They figured it would be best for me to go there. I guess you could say I was away from everybody that I knew and I didn’t really like it there. I’m not really sure why I chose to paint that, I guess it was just something I figured that I want to do. I sent some pictures [of the poster] to my sisters and nieces and stuff like that. My sister figures there’s an artist in the family now."

The project has also had a profound impact on artist Jared Quinney, whose Giant Squid linocut on marbled paper now adorns the Southgate LRT Station. "This [project] has given me better inspiration to come up with pieces that could become great that more people will see. I’ve never seen my art that big before, it’s absolutely beautiful. Just looking outside in the LRT stations and seeing art from people I know is pretty cool. All us artists put a lot of work in so it’s quite an honour to be asked to do this."

Artist Jared Quinney poses with Giant Squid at the Southgate LRT Station. Photo provided by the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts.

Nina artists participating in this public art project include:

Sarah Dans

Kimberly Casarin

Christine Jarock

Cheryl Anhel

Carrie Wheeler

Brittany Leitheiser

Rodney D.

Randy Stennes

Nicole McKenley

Montana Phillip

Lora Pallister

Linda Vincent

Ashley Chan

Leona Clawson

Kelsey Hawkins

John Barayuga

Jaymee Howarth

Grace Willard

Gerald B.

Jared Quinney

Jamie Laventure

Hans Nuis

Scott Berry

Amynah Pirani

Aaron Harvey

AJ McKerlie

Boyd Dymchuk

Yvette Prefontaine

Uli Rossier

Tim Crnkovic

Shannon Dosser

Vanessa Ryl

Damanjit Grewal

Amber Tyreman

Dean Bardal

Decinti Simpson

Desiree McCook

Eli Abada

Steven Niles

Samantha Crier

“It has been a great joy for me to share the news about this project with the participating artists. I think it was particularly exciting for the artists [still working] at home to hear that their work is still being appreciated despite their studio hiatus,” says Easton. “This opportunity is distinctly sweet in a year that has brought a lot of disappointment with cancelled events and opportunities in the arts community. Sharing artwork in a way that is safe and in person is so greatly appreciated.”

Edmonton’s growing collection of two hundred and sixty two  permanent pieces of public art are scattered across Edmonton’s public facilities. Some pieces are subtle, blending into their surroundings while others stand out, making their presence clear. 

New to the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection, the Valley Line Southeast LRT project’s public art will include 14 projects including art glass at five of the eleven stops and at Davies Station, five stop canopy sculptures, one mosaic, one series of paintings and one inflatable sculpture. Additional opportunities for artists to get involved in Valley Line Public Art are yet to be announced. 

The Valley Line Southeast stops are spaced closer together and have been designed to blend into the communities connected by the new LRT. Building on the sense of connection, many of the selected artists worked with local communities to refine their concepts. For sculptor Paul Reimer, working with the community brought deeper meaning to his piece for the Quarters Stop. 

Let’s take a closer look at how Edmonton’s Chinese Community helped to shape Descendants of the Dragon, which will be installed at the Quarters Stop near 96 Street and 102 Avenue.  

Editor's note: The Quarters extends from 97 Street to 92 Street, and from 103A Avenue to the top of the North Saskatchewan River Valley. For more information about the City’s vision for this area visit edmonton.ca/thequartersdowntown/. 

Initial rendering of The Quarters Stop shelter canopy with the public art incorporated.

Edmonton’s Chinatown community was established in Downtown Edmonton over 100 years ago, and it is still home to the Chinese Elders Mansion, Chinese Freemasons Society, the Chinese Benevolent Association of Edmonton and other long-standing institutions. These organizations preserve and share Chinese heritage with Edmontonians, like the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year events hosted annually by the Chinese Benevolent Association.  

Representatives of these groups, along with other members of the community, helped refine the concept and the design of the iron sculpture with the artist, Paul Reimer.  

Paul has spent 30 years honing his blacksmithing skills. Originally from Alberta, he is the head blacksmith at Fort Steele Heritage Town near Cranbrook, BC. From the blacksmith shop within this heritage site, he and his team create large-scale public art, iron sculptures, and architectural iron elements.

The artwork was initially designed to explore movement through the development of an abstract ribbon-like sculpture. However, over the course of community engagement sessions, this concept shifted and the project developed deeper meaning for residents of the Chinatown Community. Community members felt that the original concept looked similar to a dragon, a cultural symbol representing prosperity and good luck. 

A sample of the forged metal sculpture.

As this idea caught steam and the concept continued to grow, a local community member, Stephen Tsang, suggested using Chinese calligraphy as the basis of the design. He explained that using calligraphy would be a great way to generate conversation around the piece even among people who do not understand Chinese characters. Using calligraphy to combine the Chinese characters with the symbolism of the dragon pays homage to Chinese culture, and shows respect for the Chinatown Community.

Stephen volunteered his time and talent to create the calligraphy piece being used by Paul as the basis for the project. When asked, Stephen described the calligraphy as the “running style”: a style of calligraphy created using simplified Chinese characters, drawn together. Considered to be the most difficult Chinese calligraphy style; the piece skillfully incorporates the symbolism of the dragon with Chinese characters that translate to “Descendant of the Dragon”—a fitting name for the sculpture. 

Paul has begun crafting the full size piece. The finished project is expected to be about five metres long and will be installed along the roof of the stop canopy.

The connection between the community and the art is what drives Paul to create large-scale public art. He sees it as something that “transforms a physical location into a connection between people.” For Paul, art is about forging connections between members of the community. This is why he was supportive of the community engagement initiative on the Valley Line Southeast and why he was keen to transform his initial design of an abstract ribbon into its new form.