Latest news with #EdmontonArtsCouncil
CTV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Edmonton artwork nominated for top 100 international public art projects
One of the phones from the Play it by Ear public art installation in Butler Memorial Park in Edmonton can be seen on July 03, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) An Edmonton public art work has been nominated for an international award. The interactive art installation Play it by Ear was created by Calgary artists Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett and installed in Butler Memorial Park in 2023. Park visitors can pick up one of the brightly coloured phones to send a call to a matching phone somewhere else in the park, hopefully sparking a conversation with whoever stops to pick it up. If no one answers, the phones record a message that can be listened to by other visitors. 'It's really encouraging that community connection,' said Renée Williams, executive director of Edmonton Arts Council (EAC). Williams said the installation has been nominated as one of public art industry leader CODAworx's Top 100 Public Art Projects for 2025. It will compete against 281 entries from 14 countries. 'We're going to find out in August if we've been selected, and (we're) so excited to see what comes of that,' she said. 'Public art is such an important part of what the EAC does here in the city' 'We've got such a great public art program that's recognized nationally,' she added. 'We have different cities that reach out all the time to understand what it is that we do.' According to Williams, there are about 300 pieces of public art in Edmonton. She encourages Edmontonians to visit the EACwebsite to learn more and find out where to go to find installations and artworks to engage with. 'There's a story behind every single piece in the collection, so understand the story, understand the connection, and understand the place that it's in and what it represents – and you might find yourself coming to be a big fan of public art,' she added.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Edmonton Green Shacks are back, free summer shows added
The Brasstactics perform at a Green Shack show in Edmonton on July 2, 2025. The Green Shack program provides summer fun and activities for kids of all ages. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) Edmonton's Green Shacks opened for the summer on Wednesday and the program will run until Aug. 21. The free drop-in program is geared toward children ages 6-12, but kids of all ages are invited to have fun through organized games, sports, crafts, and more. Kids younger than six years old can join with a parent or guardian present. Green Shack leaders will take the kids through the scheduled programs in sessions that can run from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Some sites may have full-day hours. Special events and a list of activities can be found posted on the side of the Green Shack each week. Last week, city officials announced a free concert series will be added to the Green Shack program. The city and the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) will host the shows five days a week at various Green Shacks with performances at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.. The family-friendly shows will include performers like The Brasstactics, which was playing a show at the Green Shack in Keswick in south Edmonton on Wednesday morning. The Brasstactics perform at a Green Shack show in Edmonton (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) The Brasstactics perform at a Green Shack show in the Keswick neighbourhood in Edmonton on July 2, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) The band consists of eight to nine musicians who hope to 'grow the brass band culture' in the city and hope to inspire the kids that make it out to the shows this summer. 'What better way to introduce these kids to what we do and hopefully transition that into, 'Hey, those guys see us and … we can do our own brass band' or, 'We can go into music,'' Matt Laird, also known as Dr. Sooz, with The Brasstactics told CTV News Edmonton before the free show. Laird added the band has tailored their performances for the Green Shack shows to be more interactive with the kids. 'You'll see a lot more engagement with the horn players and the drums, kind of introducing each instrument, what we do, how we do what we do, and we've got some cool little hidden tricks up our sleeves too,' he said. 'The kids can play along with us.' The Brasstactics will play two shows each day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. A full schedule of performers and shows can be found on the EAC website. The Brasstactics at a Green Shack show in Edmonton (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) News this summer, free shows were added to the Green Shack program in Edmonton. The Brasstactics perform a family-friendly show in the Keswick neighbourhood on July 2, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) Green Shack program leaders will be wearing blue shirts to make them easy to spot. Volunteer leaders may also be on hand to help. A map of all the locations and hours can be found online. The program is open rain or shine, but may be cancelled during severe weather. If the air quality is 7 or higher, some locations may move indoors at nearby community leagues. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Evan Klippenstein
CBC
27-02-2025
- CBC
Bronze statue of women's rights pioneer cut off at ankles, stolen from Edmonton park
A life-sized bronze statue of Canadian women's rights pioneer Emily Murphy has been stolen from the city park that bears Murphy's name. David Turnbull of the Edmonton Arts Council said Thursday only the shoes remain of the statue in Emily Murphy Park. He said it appears the statue was sliced off near the ankles with a power tool earlier this week. A plaque glued to the stone platform it stood on is also missing. Edmonton police are investigating. Famous Five Murphy was Alberta's first female judge and one of the so-called Famous Five women behind the 1929 Persons Case. The case successfully challenged laws that prevented women from being appointed to the Senate because they were not considered legal "persons." Turnbull said Murphy was also a controversial figure as she had a history of supporting racist policies, eugenics, and once stated Indigenous people have no place in the future. Turnbull said her statue was splashed with red paint and the word "racist" was written across it in 2020. "There is the good and the bad," he said. Renee Williams, executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said the statue was installed by a local artist in 1992 and was recently appraised at around $250,000. She said the statue is among the nearly 300 art pieces the council takes care of across the city. She added that while it is not uncommon for the art to get vandalized or targeted, it is disheartening. "Public art is so remarkable," she said. "It brings vibrancy to the city. It humanizes the built environment that we are all living in."
