Edmonton unveils final three Rogers Place public art projects

Public art has been around since the first caveman (or woman) pulled a stick out of a campfire and drew a charcoal animal on a rock wall.

The first critic probably came along about five minutes later.

On Tuesday, the city and the Edmonton Arts Council unveiled the concepts for the final three public artworks to be created as part of the Rogers Place development downtown.

Now it's up to more than a million critics to decide what they think.

Bri McDonald, an art student at the University of Alberta, said only the public can decide the true value of any artwork.

"They're probably just going to say it's a big waste of money," she said. "But I don't agree with that. Personally, I think that all art, if it's got the right intention, is good and worth some money."

The three artworks chosen are:

• Essential Tree by a Berlin design company called realties:united;
• Skater's Arch by Saskatoon artist Douglas Bentham, and;
• Figures in Motion by St. Albert artist Al Henderson.

The works were selected from among more than 200 submissions.

Paul Moulton, executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said he thinks all three works capture the spirit of the new Rogers Place arena and the city itself.

Installation of each artwork will be completed before Rogers Place opens in September 2016.

Artwork doesn't come cheap. Essential Tree will cost $500,000, Skater's Arch will cost $300,000, and Figures in Motion will cost $100,000.

The money comes from a city fund that sets aside one per cent of the construction costs of new projects to be used for public art.

"The world of public art, generally, across the world and certainly in North America is expanding at a very great rate," Moulton said. "Every major city has figured out that this is an important part of defining their character. So, we're just catching that wave in part."

Moulton said all cities invest in public art. Some spend than one per cent.

"I think we take a very Edmontonapproach," he said. "We're not throwing money around wildly, but we are carefully investing to good effect."

Calum MacCrimmon and James Mackenzie are in Edmonton on a visit from Glasgow. Showna photograph of Essential Tree, MacCrimmon said: "It's a big shape on a pole."

Asked how much they thought the Figures in Motion artwork hadcost, MacKenzie said, "I would say $2,000 for this one."

MacCrimmon had his own opinion."I wouldn't personally throw any money into that one," he said.

The selection committee that picked the workswas made up of representatives from the city, the Katz Group, design professionals, artists and community members.

Rick Daviss, executive director of the City of Edmonton arena project, said the artwork will add visual interest and character aroundRogers Place, which is already becoming a signature area.

The call for submissions was divided into three categories: local artists, Canadian artists and international artists. Each group was then narrowed down to three finalists, from which the winners were chosen.

The international competition alone attracted about 150 submissions.

"It's gratifying to see how interested the arts community is in Rogers Place," Daviss said.

In total, four pieces of public art have now been chosen for Rogers Place.

A tile mosaic called IronFoot Place,by aboriginal artist Alex Janvier, was unveiled earlier this year.