Final SuperTrain of 2023 celebrates community gardening

The latest SuperTrain temporary public art project by local artists Helen Gerritzen and Kyla Fischer explores the ways community gardens connect us to the land and each other. The design was created as part of a public art initiative led by SNAP (The Society of Northern Alberta Print-artists) in partnership with the Edmonton Arts Council and Pattison Outdoor Advertising. The artists explored the relationship between the natural world and urban spaces during a two-month residency rooted in the theme of​environmental stewardship. 

Lush imagery adorns the exterior and interior of the SuperTrain — bringing the experience of a community garden abuzz with bees, birds and greenery to transit goers. Wrote the artists, ​“The project honours our connections to the land, environment, nature, and community, in turn, these connections encourage a sense of responsibility and respect for the complexity of ecosystems and how wildlife and plants support each other and support human life in an urban setting.” 

Considering how the public would interact with their work was an interesting challenge for the artists. Wrote Kyla Fischer, ​“When creating artwork for such a unique space, a lot of interesting questions arise. How will the public see this particular image: looking up? looking down? being surrounded? We had the opportunity to make this ordinary aspect of life a little more extraordinary.”

Helen Gerritzen plays with symbol and myth while using objects to evoke visual metaphors relating to the body. Her work questions the body’s long history as a repository of cultural, sexual, medical and religious meanings. Helen currently lives and works in Edmonton and has a MFA in Printmaking from the University of Alberta. 

Kyla Fischer is inspired by the beauty of nature, from the smallest detail to the larger expanse of the surrounding environment. Organic patterns and objects are abstracted through drawing, photography, fibre manipulation or printmaking processes. Kyla resides in Edmonton and received her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Alberta.