Request for Qualifications: Whitemud Drive Widening Public Art Project, Edmonton

The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton, is seeking an artist/artist team residing in Canada to create one or two sculptures located next to the Whitemud Park parking lot. Emerging artists, Indigenous artists and artists from equity-seeking backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

This Request for Qualifications includes a two-stage selection process.

Deadline for Request for Qualifications: Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 11:59 AM MT (noon)

Project Budget: $285,000. This budget encompasses all costs directly associated with the creation and installation of the artwork, including materials, fabrication, foundations, transportation, and installation. Artists are responsible for allocating their own artist fees.

Online Information Session: Thursday, September 19, 11 AM MDT over Zoom with our Public Art, Indigenous Relations, and IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) staff. Zoom link.

Project Description

The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton, is seeking an artist or artist team with connections to Treaty 6 to create one or two sculptural works responding to the site and the surrounding land. The works will be installed next to the parking lot at Whitemud Park (Whitemud Creek Ravine South) along Rainbow Valley Road.

Whitemud Park is part of Edmonton’s River Valley system, Canada’s largest urban park that boasts more than 160 kilometers of maintained pathways and 20 major parks. Located off Whitemud Drive, near the Snow Valley Ski Club and Whitemud Creek, the area is located near the neighbourhoods of Bulyea Heights, Aspen Gardens, Brookside and Landsdowne and is very popular year-round for outdoor activities such as birding, cross-country and downhill skiing, and hiking. A walking trail takes hikers through Whitemud Park, from Snow Valley Ski Club all the way to Fox Drive, close to Fort Edmonton Park, kihcihkaw askî Sacred Land and the Alfred H. Savage Centre.

The City of Edmonton is currently in Stage Two of construction of the Whitemud Drive interchange, which when completed will alleviate congestion in the area and provide all users with a safe and efficient route.

The sculpture(s) will be installed within the allotted 65m x 25m space.

The artwork will be approved by the EAC and stakeholders prior to artwork installation.

The selected artist or artist team may conduct research and engage with the surrounding community when developing concepts for the Whitemud Drive Widening Public Art Project. If relevant to the artist’s process, preliminary ideas for research and engagement may be included in the submission.

Project Timeline

• Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 11:59 AM MT (noon): Deadline for Request for Qualifications
• March 2025: Final artwork proposal due
• Fall 2025 or Spring 2026: Artwork installation complete

These dates are preliminary, and subject to change due to weather conditions.

For more information on this opportunity and to apply, visit edmontonarts.ca

Questions can be directed to support@edmontonarts.ca

Edmonton Arts Council
Phone: 780−424−2787 | Email: info@edmontonarts.ca
Prince of Wales Armouries, 2nd Floor (#222)
10440 108 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5H 3Z9