The Edmonton and Area Land Trust
Art as a Bridge to Conserving Local Landscapes
Who would have thought that art could form a bridge to conservation? And who would have thought that digital technology could help? That’s what has happened recently, thanks to the contributions of local and regional artists to a local nature conservancy’s website.
The Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EALT) has just launched its Virtual Art Gallery, which aims to link those with interest in art, as well as in landscapes and conservation. The Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EALT) is a local conservancy, the only one to focus entirely on the Edmonton region. This non-profit’s goal is to conserve natural areas and rural landscapes for the benefit of local residents, and to educate them about the values of conservation.
EALT’s Culture-Conservation Connection
Pam Wight, Executive Director of EALT, had only been in office for a few months when she realised that information alone doesn’t necessarily inspire or motivate people to work towards conservation. You need to engage their emotions as well. In addition, she realised that there are many different communities of interest in the region, and while people may have a driving passion (like art, or the environment) most people likely have more than one interest. She conceived of a Culture-Conservation Connection on EALT’s website, with a totally different way of communicating values to different audiences. The idea was to develop a Virtual Art Gallery related to conservation. It is now available at: http://ealt.ca/culture-connection/
Jim Visser, a noted local artist and conservationist, was the source of this inspiration. Pam recollects the beginnings of the idea: “In 2008, while Jim was showing me around the agricultural lands in north-east Edmonton, we stopped at his home and studio. There, he had many paintings on display, some of which included Edmonton’s River Valley and other natural areas. This planted the seed of the idea. That night, I asked Jim if he’d consider allowing digital versions of his work to be displayed on our website – essentially a digital art gallery – and I was thrilled when he not only said ‘yes’, but directed me to another local artist interested in conservation.
By many such artists’ referrals, invitations to their shows, and an invitation to Parkland County’s municipal art unveiling, Pam was directed to more and more regional artists interested in conservation. She also advertised the project in newsletters of the Edmonton Art Club and the Alberta Society of Artists, and promoted this initiative in EALT’s newsletter. Pam says, “soon, broad interest was generated, and I was invited to the 2009 Whyte Avenue Art Walk’s Artrepreneur workshop sponsored by Alternative Trends, where invitations to participate in EALT’s Virtual Art Gallery were included in the information packages of all participating artists”.
The Concept behind EALT’s Virtual Art Gallery
An intriguing aspect of EALT’s art gallery, is that it supports the notion of sustainability. Thus all the contributing artists are local or regional, which supports economic sustainability, and all their subjects are regional. This means that the images contributed are from Boreal or Parkland landscapes, scenes and species (i.e., not the Rocky Mountains, Arctic, or grasslands ecosystems).
Pam says, “The wonderful thing about art is that it creates emotions, feelings, or inspiration in the eyes of the beholder, so it has a different impact than facts and figures. I’d like culturally-interested viewers to understand that if we don’t conserve the land, then the sources of inspiration for artists may very well disappear. And similarly, I’d like our conservation-minded viewers to become interested in art, perhaps by seeing a painting that makes them feel just how they do when out for an early morning walk”.
Local Artists were Very Supportive
The response to this project was very positive. Artists thought the idea was great. They realised that there was no direct financial benefit to anyone, simply a tremendous way to provide appeal for conservation through exposure to their works, and of course, they kept the rights to their originals and images. Artists like Cindy Barratt already had an affinity for nature and the environment, as her exhibition: “A Conservation Portrait – Wagner Natural Area” shows. She wrote to say she was very supportive of the project, and the use of artwork to help promote conservation. Indeed all of the artists expressed such sentiments, as well as such noted art critics as Gilbert Bouchard.
Pam was clear that artists should not only have credit for their works, but should have the opportunity to provide an Artist’s Statement. Samples of these statements show the real concern and love that is behind the work of many artists:
I want to share the beauty, power and vulnerability of the natural world in which we are privileged to live. – Andrew Raszewski
Creating a visual and sensory body of work related to habitats, flora and fauna is an extension of my passion for nature and respect for creation. Areas that we can conserve from our expanding urban and industrial sprawl are irreplaceable and immeasurable. – Cindy Barratt
We can protect [the environment] more effectively if we envisage maintaining bountiful nature, than imagining what we may loose. – Debra Hovestad
The City of Edmonton has a rich treasure trove of landscape drawing sites... These nature sites are hidden gems, and having them so accessible in a big city, is wonderful for a visual artist. – Gordon Ramsey
Direct contact with the environment restores the soul and energizes me. By using this energy to paint, I’m trying to express and save some of this experience for the future when such locations will be even harder to find. – Helen Davies
Edmonton has one of the longest urban stretches of River Valley Parkland in an urban area in North America... I still enjoy exploring and painting some of these places as a tangible reminder that one does not need to go far in order to enjoy some great parkland and scenery. – Randy Hayashi
After traveling extensively throughout the wilderness areas of Alberta, BC, and the Territories, I became alarmed by the disturbance and impact on wildlife and their habitat from residential, industrial and recreational activities, even in the remotest areas. I am convinced we need to protect habitat and corridors for flora and fauna, and believe that organizations such as the EALT are critical to the successful survival of wildlife and plant species. – Raymond Thériault
Jurors Selected the Final Works
It was when one of the artists mentioned that they expected a jury to ensure a high quality of final images, that Pam realised this project might be much larger than she had at first envisaged. However, she knew the Virtual Art Gallery was not a traditional Exhibition of works. There was a need to ensure the quality of art, the appeal to viewers, the environmental themes, and ensuring that subjects were of regional ecosystems – which is not the usual mandate of jurors! So a variety of disciplines were brought together in three jurors: John Maywood, Curator of the Stony Plain Multicultural Heritage Centre; Pardee Baydal, editor of Alternative Trends Magazine, and Marg Reine, a naturalist and educator on the Lee Nature Sanctuary Society Management Board.
These individuals brought the right combination of perspectives to their review of 250 submitted images, and selected about 130, ensuring that there was a representative mix of topics, from 22 artists. All the jurors were delighted to be involved with the project. Marg said: “Conservation Connections is an innovative approach to showing how people are involved with nature and natural areas. It shows the many perspectives and feelings that nature can invoke in people”. John, an artist and art curator, has the view that EALT’s initiative is even more important: “Art has always been used to connect different communities of interest. Art and culture are the cohesive force – they are a gel for society. So the endeavours of the Edmonton and Area Land Trust are exemplary in trying to connect various groups in society through this Culture-Conservation Connection.” Pardee said, “I encourage everyone to help conserve this beautiful land many artists choose to replicate through many mediums from paintings to sculptures. Together we can help future generations appreciate the true beauty some are taking for granted today.”
Organising the Art Work
EALT already had a Photo Gallery, with a range of amazing images of local wildlife and landscapes, all contributed by local photographers and naturalists. It has various themed sub-galleries such as: Rural landscapes, Riparian habitats, Wildlife, Plant-life, Air photos, People appreciating or stewarding natural areas, and even Nature’s patterns (which could be considered nature’s art!). This was a good model for how to arrange the galleries for the Virtual Art Gallery. Thus there are similar sub-galleries, including a Nature’s Patterns gallery – where artists are essentially echoing nature’s art in their own unique way.
A related long term project relates to the City of Edmonton’s Capital City Cleanup section, who use mural art as a means to counter graffiti on buildings. Pam suggested at a sustainability conference in 2009 that the city sponsor an environmentally-themed mural. This year, the decision was made to commission a mural featuring the North Saskatchewan River Valley, and Pam joined the Jasper Place Revitalisation Committee and others, in selecting the final image. This is a welcome first for the City, and EALT hopes to add this image to the Virtual Art Gallery very soon. However, it can be viewed in person near 168th Street on 100th Avenue.
This EALT project has been a long time in coming to fruition, as the work has had to be done in Pam’s volunteer time, since her core business is related to securing land: responding to landowners, developing outreach materials, partnership activities, and public education. In addition, it was her intent to have reciprocal weblinks between EALT’s art gallery and other galleries. So each artist has their website listed online, and it is intended that each of these will link back to EALT’s website. This will create mutual benefits and awareness between different communities of interest, and shows that partnershipping can create tremendous benefits.
We think that this initiative is one of great creativity and value to Edmonton and region. A quote from pop artist Andy Warhol revealed who he really was as an artist: “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.”