The Places, Art & Design in Public Places

The goal of The Art & Design in Public Places Program (The Places) is to plan, develop and site art and design in downtown Edmonton to raise the profile and livability of the area, thereby increasing the attractiveness of downtown locations for business, residents and tourists.

In cooperation with the City of Edmonton and pursuant to the Capital City Downtown Plan (1997), Art & Design in Public Places (The Places) was first introduced by the Edmonton Business Council for Visual Arts (The Council) in 1998. Subsequently, the development of the program was more than a year in the making and was launched in November 1999 as a community based, multi-partner initiative designed to help revitalize Edmonton’s downtown through the placement of publicly and privately funded works of art and design.

Recognizing that urban beautification enhances the overall environment in which residents live and work, The Places improves social and economic conditions in the community by introducing art and design projects each year. The Places raises the profile and livability of Downtown and is used as a model for other areas of the City, increasing attractiveness for business, residents, and tourists alike.

The Downtown Business Association is the Host Organization for The Places under the Capital City Downtown Plan with The Works International Visual Arts Society (The Society) providing Executive Directorship for the overall program. Mechanisms are in place to encourage community involvement, overall transparency and accountability in the selection of art and design projects for development. Artists or designers are awarded commissions after local, provincial or national competitions are held. The Places partners with the Edmonton Arts Council as required in the review and selection of the competition entries through a two-stage community jury process. The Works Society provides Project Management and contracts the successful artist or designer to complete the commissions.