Artist Info: Holly Newman is an Edmonton-based artist who has been involved in the local art scene for over 30 years. Newman graduated from the University of Alberta in 1985 with a BFA and has since taken part in numerous group and solo shows including exhibitions at Harcourt House, the Art Gallery of Alberta and The New Gallery in Calgary. No stranger to public art, she was commissioned in 2006 to create the work 'I Witness' at the Health Sciences LRT station. According to her website, Newman's work revolves around the city landscape and the glimpses of nature we can catch while exploring Edmonton (if we are careful enough to notice!).
The work featured here is a series of granite benches situated along both sides of Jasper Avenue between 102 and 100 Streets. The benches have images and text etched into their surface, referencing the changing of the seasons and the various natural phenomena one can see during the year. The work is a Percent for Art Commission through the Edmonton Arts Council and was completed just a year ago in the fall of 2013.
My Thoughts: As I am sure you have picked up by now, I love interactive art! Therefore, I have been a fan of this work since I first noticed it along Jasper Ave. I love the juxtaposition between the natural imagery on the benches with their location in one of the most metropolitan parts of Edmonton. Being someone who also obsesses about the minutes of daylight, the migrating geese and the changing seasons, I find myself very moved by Newman's descriptions of nature in the city. The piece serves as a reminder to look around you while waiting for the bus or walking to work.
On that note, I was just wanting to let you all know that this will be my last YEGallery posting. As I'm sure many of you have noticed, my time and dedication to the blog has been waning in the past few months. I've been struggling to keep things fresh and find accessible works of art that I find interesting. After some months of deliberation, I have decided to end the blog. When I started it up I wanted to continue it for at least a year and I have successfully accomplished my goal. To anyone reading this - thanks for investigating Edmonton public art with me. I'll be keeping this blog up as a resource to anyone wanting to learn more about a particular piece. Send me a message if you have any questions or comments! Thanks!
