Call to Artists: Urban Mural Opportunity

call to artists Urban Mural Opportunity Call to Artists - Urban Mural Opportunity The Urban Mural public art competition, open to experienced exterior urban mural artists or teams experienced with community engagement and who reside in Canada, is held in accordance with the City of Edmonton policy “Percent for Art to Provide and Encourage Art in Public Areas” (C458C). Budget: $40,000.00 CAD (Maximum. See page 4, Art Opportunity and page 5, Budget) Deadline for Submissions: 4:30 pm on Thursday, August 4, 2016 Successful Candidate Notification: End of August, 2016 Community Engagement: Prior to September 23, 2016 Installation Begins: September 23, 2016 The Edmonton Arts Council is committed to equity in all aspects of its work, and invites proposals from all potentially interested artists. We thank all artists for contributing their time and professional work for their initial concept proposal submissions. 1 call to artists URBAN ART MURAL About Edmonton Located on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton, Alberta is known as “Festival City” and “Gateway to the North.” With more than one million people living in the Greater Edmonton region, the city is the largest, northernmost municipality in North America. Geographically, Edmonton is situated at the boundary between prairie and boreal forest. The river valley constitutes the longest stretch of connected urban parkland in North America. Edmonton is home to Canada’s second-largest urban Indigenous community. The City of Edmonton lies in the heart of Treaty No. 6 territory and honours the traditions and spirit of the area. For centuries this area has been a place of gathering, relationship building, harmony, balance, and commerce for many peoples. It was in this place that early relationships led to the development of Treaty No. 6 Territory, the Province of Alberta, and the City of Edmonton. This relationship with the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations has been recognized by the City of Edmonton through City Council’s Declaration-Strengthening Relationships between the City of Edmonton, Urban Aboriginal Peoples, the Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord, and the Memorandum of Cooperation and Dialogue signed in 2012. Since the 1800’s Edmonton has been home to the Métis people who were some of the first settlers in the Edmonton area and played a significant role in its development. They continue to be the largest proportion of the Indigenous population in Edmonton. This deep history, and the subsequent migration of many new Canadians to the area, imbues Edmonton with a rich cultural and ethnic heritage. This diversity contributes to a dynamic urban landscape alive with arts and culture, business, research and development, and industry. Indicators for the next twelve years point to steady economic and population growth. As Edmonton’s economy flourishes, so does the spirit of revitalization. Edmonton is undergoing an unprecedented amount of infrastructure growth with major roadways, streetscapes, and significant development in neighbourhoods. Aspects of these, and other municipal projects, including public transportation, provide public art opportunities through the City’s “Percent for Art to Provide and Encourage Art in Public Areas” policy. Edmonton’s spirit of optimism is reflected through its ever-evolving Public Art Collection. With more than 200 pieces, the Collection includes visual art from a variety of disciplines by local, national and international artists. The Downtown Location The Urban Mural is located just north of the new Rogers Place development and east of the MacEwan University LRT station and park. It is at the crossroads of four distinct and historic neighbourhoods - Downtown (Central Business District), Central McDougall, McCauley, and Boyle Street. The area has undergone significant redevelopment over the past 40 years - ranging from residential intensification to recreational and cultural development including the new MacEwan Centre for Communications and the Arts, Rogers Place Arena, and the new Royal Alberta Museum. Due to its centrality, Edmonton’s downtown attracts all Edmontonians from all socioeconomic demographics. The neighbourhoods contain a wide diversity of housing ranging from luxury condominiums to low-rent apartments, rooming houses and emergency accommodations, and is home to a significant homeless population. Distinct landmarks include: Boyle Street Community Services; the city’s historic and busy Chinatown, City Hall, the city’s Arts District, and the 104 Street Promenade and Farmers’ Market. These and other land-uses such as social services, institutional facilities, offices, and retail, are supported by LRT stations and major transportation corridors. 2 call to artists l Rogers Place Arena and the surrounding Ice District heralds an unprecedented era in Edmonton’s Downtown revitalization. In 2010, Edmonton City Council approved the Capital City Downtown Plan. The plan envisions a sustainable, vibrant, well- designed, and accessible downtown core. To realize this vision, City Council approved a number of “catalyst projects” or strategic public investments. Rogers Place Arena is one of these projects. Planners predict that this complex with its close proximity to Edmonton’s Warehouse district, the Civic Precinct, the new Royal Alberta Museum, and MacEwan University’s new arts campus will be a linchpin in the new vision of Edmonton’s core – urban, vibrant, and connected. l Rogers Place Arena, with its distinctive “oil drop” shape is anticipated to become a classic Edmonton landmark. The Arena and Community Rink are expected to attract increased pedestrian traffic as Edmontonians and fans flock to the events throughout the year including NHL hockey, concerts, and other large scale events. The Community Rink will host the Oilers hockey practice as well as other family and neighbourhood oriented events. The adjacent development will include residential towers, retail and office space, hotels, restaurants and other facilities. New public spaces will host a range of activities including sports, entertainment, cultural and community activities. Everything will be within walking distance of Edmonton’s downtown “Arts District”, as well as business, shopping, and dining destinations. l The MacEwan Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station sits in a park north of Rogers Place Arena, and where, in 1905, the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) laid tracks into downtown just north of 104th Avenue as part of its transcontinental line from Winnipeg. The company built a station at the northwest corner of 104th Avenue and 101st Street, situated right where Edmonton’s Arena District is now taking shape. Today’s station is intended to serve the local university population, downtown residents and workers, as well as attendees to the Arena events. l The MacEwan Station Park provides pedestrian access to 103, 104 and 105 Streets by a pedestrian footpath on its north edge. The LRT park is home to two public artworks – Still Life, an interactive sculpture created by Studio F Minus, and bike racks designed by design students at MacEwan University and NAIT. The pedestrian footpath will be further animated by two major artworks generated by Roger Place Arena Percent for Art funds, which will be installed in September 2016; Skater’s Arch by Doug Bentham and Essential Tree by realities:united. The inclusion of these works forms an “outdoor gallery” linking the Arena with MacEwan LRT Station. l The Boyle Street Community Services facility is located northeast of the Arena at 101 Street and 105 Avenue. First established in 1971, the agency serves more than 12,000 people each year – more than 70 per cent of whom are of Indigenous descent. The organization serves adults, youth, and families. Services offered include drop-in programs, mental health supports, housing, education, employment readiness, youth services and family support. The organization has plans to redevelop their property at 101 Street and 105 Avenue into a mixed use development that diversifies and strengthens their services to the community, while generating profit to maintain their operations. The designers say the new facility will be “unapologetically Indigenous”. l References http://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/neighbourhoods/boyle-street.aspx http://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/Neighbourhoods/DowntownDemographicProfile.pdf http://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/Boyle_St_McCauley_ARP_Consolidation.pdf http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/projects_redevelopment/arena-details.aspx http://www.rogersplace.com/renderings/ http://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2014/11/24/tracks-into-the-past/ http://boylestreet.org/who-we-are/contact-us/ 3 call to artists Urban Mural Public Art Opportunity The LRT line under the MacEwan Station park is ventilated by a large 5-sided concrete fresh air vent that stands out prominently against the charcoal grey walls of the Community Rink. The inclusion of urban art on the vent is a perfect opportunity to dynamically add to the “outdoor gallery”. Remarkably visible and central, this structure, transformed into a permanent mural–in-the-round, will help to make the park space and areas around the station a downtown destination accessible to all Edmontonians. Therefore it is very important for the imagery to be locally derived, authentic to the communities, as well as embracing the principles of great design and contemporary art-making best practices. The expectation is that imagery will be inspired by, and with, workshop participants as well as

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