Multiple phases, multiple stories and multiple voices in multiple public art features are coming to the Red Willow Trail system.
City council on Dec. 17 approved $495,000 in public art, including $300,000 for the project along the trails in the Grey Nuns White Spruce Park, $165,000 for an installation in Element Park and $30,000 for a mural at the BMX track facing Riel Drive.
Asked about the price tag for the Red Willow work by Coun. Sheena Hughes, Emily Baker, chair of the city’s Public Art Advisory committee, conceded $300,000 is significant, representing the lion’s share of the art reserve dedicated to new installations. It will pay for a multi-year project extending over several kilometres that will include one or more public art installations in the park or integrated into park infrastructure.
Coun. Shelley Biermanski pointed out the funding for the new art is coming from a reserve and won’t impact the 2025 tax rate. She added there are around half a dozen new public art projects coming to fruition in the near future that are also already paid for.
“This is for outdoor art that will survive the elements and be a bit stronger,” she said. “I think it’s a (good) new direction.”
The current reserve balance is $1.02 million with $522,886 available for new acquisitions and $497,344 set aside for maintenance.
The $495,000 withdrawal for the new pieces includes $40,000 for their long-term upkeep.
Celebrating natural and Indigenous history
The new work or works will appear in Phase 3 of the Red Willow Trail expansion, which will ultimately connect residents from Ray Gibbon Drive to the downtown core and the existing Red Willow Trail System, according to a city report. It says Phase 1 has been completed and includes integrated features by artists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins.
“Part of the higher cost is to involve artists in the design phase and as part of the development of this project to be able to think through maybe multiple artworks,” Baker said. “It’s quite open in what we’re looking for from artists.”
Baker said the committee hopes to capture stories that celebrate the area’s natural and Indigenous history.
“The way the ask is designed, it’s not for specific artwork, but a request for qualifications of artists who could be a part of this design team," to work with the city to identify what stories to elevate and where to place the works.
It’s elementary
Growing Erin Ridge will get a $165,000 touch-up in the form of new public art when Element Park is built at Element Drive and Ernest Boulevard.
The construction of what will be the city’s northernmost park is expected to be completed in 2025. An integrated tile mosaic is now scheduled to be added in 2026.
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“The tender will allow for collaboration between the contractor and the artist to identify how the mosaic tilework will be embedded into the design,” Baker’s report reads. “This is a wonderful opportunity to expand our public art collection to communities across our city, potentially making this park a destination for locals and visitors in the years to come.”
The city’s 2019 community engagement survey showed 45 per cent of residents considered parks, trails and open spaces the highest contributor to quality of life in the city, while 24 per cent said it’s the small-town feel, and another 24 per cent cited the low crime rate.
Between the wheels
Over the summer, the licence holder of the BMX park requested some public art that could be applied to the jump that faces Riel Drive. The mural would last up to 15 years and would elevate the experience at an already world-class venue that is scheduled to host national competitions in 2025 and 2026.
Red Deer BMX Olympian Molly Shannon, who was involved in the design process of the park’s recent upgrade, rolled through the park in August as part of her first race after the Paris games.
The mural should appear in summer 2025, according to the city.
