CRAFFITI ART

Flanking 106 street north of Jasper Avenue, you'll find a handful of printed fabric panels featuring the poetry and art of Holly Newman that defy the classifications of art, graffiti or craft.

Her trademark attention to detail and impressive work of the hand adds visual interest and gives the passerby an opportunity to stop and engage with an artwork in a seemingly unexpected place. However, I have to wonder if the location Newman chose to display her work wasn't influenced by what could be considered Edmonton's unofficial Arts District made up of the Alberta Craft Council, ArtsHab, and Latitude 53.

According to Holly, her motivation is to "invite the viewer to reconsider the city landscape. Unique relationships are formed in the city. Natural elements can be elevated or ignored depending on the viewer's level of distraction and inclinations. Our changing relationship with nature has evolved so rapidly that at times it seems to have disappeared. Finding remnants of the personal within the city labyrinth is my motivation in constructing projects that challenge the role of the viewer within the city landscape."

MIRAGE ON MANNING DRIVE

I stumbled on this Sikh Temple with some friends recently called Gurdwara NanakSar. The people inside welcomed us in, showed us their customs and invited us to explore. Then they asked us to join them for dinner! It was amazing to glimpse a community of such lovely people who embrace each other and curious strangers alike.
The building has been around since the seventies and is built out of concrete. Every exterior surface of the building is completely covered in mosaic tile. Construction is currently underway to expand the building.
The day I was there, the sun was streaming in to the prayer hall through numerous windows and skylights. Inside and out, every surface was considered and imbued with meaning.