Stainless steel masts, topped with windmills, grow out of bulb-like structures located at ground or grade level. The masts and windmills represent the future; the lower bulb-like structures represent the past. The contrast between the shiny stainless steel masts, the windmills, and the reddish painted bulbs underlines this relationship.

Krzysztof Zukowski

Krzysztof Zukowski – an artist, designer, architect, and enterpreneur, born in Opole, Poland, and based in Toronto, Canada — works with all types of three-dimensional forms and functions. His public art graces locations in Canada, China, and the US, while his industrial, product and architectural designs have landed in Asia (China, Taiwan, and Japan), North America (Canada and the US), and Europe (Poland and Italy).

This pyrographed mural takes its inspiration from the history of the Keillor farm and its natural setting along the North Saskatchewan River. The role of the horse within the narrative of Alberta’s cattle ranching history prompted the use of ​“western” aesthetics. The designs, often embossed on saddles, boots, and other leather items, inspired many of the decorative motifs in the mural. The clear cedar surface of the equestrian centre will feature life-size depictions of many animals, both wild and domestic. The artwork complements the contemporary architecture of the new stable, animating the façade and inviting visitors to explore the intricate lines and patterns of the design.

Black Artifex

Tanya Klimp (BFA) and Darcy Fraser Macdonald (BDes) met at the University of Alberta (first day, first class as a matter of fact), and have been collaborating since. Together they share a wide range of interests, a very full and fruitful life – and two awesome children. 

Over the past two decades, Tanya Klimp has produced a wide range of works from large scale abstracts to intimate watercolours.

After graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design degree (1999), Darcy Fraser Macdonald went on to do two years of undergraduate studies in architecture at Carleton University and a further two years of graduate studies in architecture at the University of Manitoba.

The artwork depicts the namesake of The Nature Centre, former City of Edmonton Parks and Recreation Superintendent, John Janzen. The design for the artwork began by arranging the basic symbols of the portrait, flora, fauna, and water, breaking them down into graphic shapes, colours, and patterns. The composition has been divided into three parts, each measuring 1.8 m by 1.2 m. The overall composition takes you through the picture on a meandering path similar to the flow of a river around a bend. The painting began with a basic linear pattern on a blue background to depict waves in the water. This basic pattern is also reminiscent of writing on paper. As a policy maker, one of John Janzen’s first steps in contributing to the creation of parkland in Edmonton’s river valley would have been through communicating these intentions in words and on paper. Urban planning, even in the case of urban natural areas, requires some degree of using grids, pattern, and order. Grid-like patterns have been repeated throughout the composition. Patterns are something shared by cities and nature, and are used here to show transitions and harmony between the two. As quickly as grids are created in the composition, they are allowed to be interrupted. This sort of relationship is necessary to create areas that are wild and areas that are tame, paying tribute to the careful balance of maintaining natural areas within a city that can be enjoyed by all residents. The extraordinary flora and fauna in the composition are derived from very ordinary and common counterparts reminding us to be amazed by the valuable resource we have in Edmonton’s natural areas.

Genevieve Simms

Genevieve Simms is an illustrator living in Edmonton. Shape, colour, and a figure’s relationship to its environment are some of her current areas of interest and investigation. Significant sources of inspiration include graphics and images that serve an informative purpose. 

Though most of her illustration work is in the editorial realm, poster design might be her one true illustration love. Painting has become an extension of the poster design process where colour is layered in large flat areas according to a basic design and then subdivided and layered beyond what would be possible with printmaking, and more specifically, silk-screening.

With the Whitemud Trailhead Building being a meeting place, the artist felt the mural needed somehow to reflect a collective identity to the community. ​“I Am You” is a title that reinforces this theme and is a positive representation of the similarities we all share. The tumble of figurative references is a structural metaphor for how a group is made up of individuals. Echoing the architectural friezes of historical mural facades, the image becomes a heroic emblem for the everyday person. Included are an array of archetypes that go beyond race, job, gender, age, and social status. The artist wanted the image to celebrate everyday people, like those who will be shareholders using the building. To access the building, take Keillor Road through Whitemud Park.

Alexandra Haeseker

Alexandra Haeseker received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the University of Calgary 1970 – 72, and has been a member of Faculty of Fine Arts Department with The Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary Canada since 1973. 

Her work can be found in collections ranging from The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, to The National Ballet of Canada, to the Queensland College of Art Gallery, Australia, to The National Art Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria, The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, and the Shanghai Art Museum, China.

Public Commissions of her work include major mural for Calgary International Airport 2004; The Business Revitalization Zone BRZ 17 Avenue Mural Commission 1990; and Outdoor installations in Quebec at the Foundation Derouin 2005 under the title: The Library of The PreCambrian.

Composed of nearly 1,000 hand crafted stainless steel spheres that together assume the shape of an abstracted pile or mound, Talus Dome reflects the sky, the weather and the river of cars that pass by it. _​Talus Dome_​is both a sculpture in the landscape and a mirror to the landscape. Before the Quesnell bridge was constructed, talus forms of earth occurred naturally along the river valley. The artwork reminds us of the landscape that has been altered by the bridge, a rigid, controlled construction that meets our need to traverse the obstacle of the river. It refers to the coexistence of the man-made and the natural. The spheres were fabricated by hand, either spun or hydro-formed depending on the particular size. Each sphere then went through a grinding and polishing process to achieve the mirror finish. The marine grade 316L mirror polished stainless steel used is among the highest-grade stainless steel available for architectural scaled applications. It will remain ageless through the cycle of seasons and over many years. At the same time, the surface of _​Talus Dome_​will take on different colors with the changing seasons and hours of the day. Its visual quality is not static, and therefore creates a balance between its permanence, and its changeable appearance that suggests the mutability of nature. The sculpture is located at a major junction of the city’s river valley trail system, and is accessible to a wide range of people – walkers, runners, bikers, skiers, inline skaters. While visible from the road, the best way to experience _​Talus Dome_​is from the adjacent trail.

Ball Nogues Studio

Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues explore the nexus of art, architecture, and industrial design. Their work has been exhibited at major institutions throughout the world, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Guggenheim Museum; PS1; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; arc en rêve centre d’architecture + Musée d’Art Contemporain de Bordeaux; the Venice Biennale, the Hong Kong | Shenzhen Biennale; and the Beijing Biennale. 

They have received numerous honors including three American Institute of Architects Design Awards, United States Artists Target Fellowships and a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. In 2007, the Studio was the winner of the Museum of Modern Arts PS1 Young Architects Program Competition. Recently, their work became part of the permanent collection of MoMA. 

In 2011 they were one of the Architectural League of New York’s Emerging Voices. The partners have taught in the graduate architecture programs at the Southern California Institute of Architecture;the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. Their work has appeared in a variety of publications worldwide including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, Architectural Record, Artforum, Icon, Log, Architectural Digest, and Sculpture.