Edmonton: Aspects of History

To commemorate the opening of the new City Hall, textile artist Wendy Toogood created ten, forty-one inch square framed artworks celebrating the unique history and achievements of Edmonton and the surrounding community. The artworks incorporate intense colours, and bold, energetic shapes in a variety of materials that create a dynamic juxtaposition, capturing the vitality and energy of the city.

Among the suite of images, the panels depict the buffalo who used to freely roam the continent in abundance; the Indigenous people who lived in the area before it was settled by Europeans; the early history of Fort Edmonton; the boom of agriculture and the first crops grown in the region; Edmonton’s proud accomplishments in the field of aviation; the discovery of oil; the scientific advances made in developing a hardier grain that enabled Alberta to become an exporter of wheat; a celebration of the love of sport; the multicultural fabric of Edmonton’s communities; and some of Edmonton’s most distinguishable landmarks, such as the Alberta Legislature and the High Level Bridge.