Designs Chosen for Public Art Bench Program
Thank you for your participation. Public art bench designs have been chosen for Anzac and Saprae Creek Estates.
From February 16 - May 2, 2022, you helped identify unique qualities and characteristics of Anzac and Saprae Creek Estates. You also helped to identify the preferred options for public art bench designs that will be created and installed in Anzac and Saprae Creek Estates.
Visit Participate Wood Buffalo (our online engagement platform) to see the selected designs. Read the What We Heard Report to learn more details about the engagement and how your feedback inspired the artists to create designs based on the character of Anzac and Saprae Creek Estates.
About the Program
Public Art Wood Buffalo is working with two local artists to create unique public art benches for Anzac and Saprae Creek Estates for a brand-new pilot project: Public Art Bench Program.
Feedback from the community will inspire two local artists to create a unique park bench – one for Anzac and one for Saprae Creek – that will be tailor-made to express the character of each community. The selected park bench designs will be duplicated in the Kiyām Community Park location in Fort McMurray, creating two “sister” benches. One bench from each artist will remain in the rural community park, and the “sister” bench will be installed in Kiyām Community Park for a total of four park benches.
This pilot project is anticipated to be repeated in each community over the next five years and is aimed at strengthening a visual connection between Wood Buffalo’s rural communities and its urban core of Fort McMurray.
Visit Participate Wood Buffalo to learn more about the community engagement and see the selected designs for benches to be built and installed in Anzac and Saprae Creek Estates.
The project team is targeting late summer 2022 to have the new benches installed. These timelines are subject to change based on the availability of construction supplies and site conditions.
Meet the Artists
Amy Keller-Rempp
Bench Artist for Saprae Creek Estates
Artist Biography:
Amy Keller-Rempp is the recipient of the 2021 Arts Council Wood Buffalo Indigenous Arts award. Growing up with a disabled father, painting relieved some of the stress and pain of her father's debilitating health. A move to Fort McMurray in 2008 inspired her three unique styles described as Modern Impressionism, Sky Dance Series (Northern Lights Art), and Metal Art.
She completed two large murals for the Fort McMurray Airport in 2015, and one mural for the igNIGHT 2020 art exhibition, that combines metal grinding and airbrushing. She is a firm believer in giving back and regularly donates to local charities.
Kritsana Naowakhun
Bench Artist for Anzac
Artist Biography:
Born and raised in Bangkok Thailand, Kritsana’s first impressions about art came from his grandfather, a painter of Buddhist temples in mainland China. This experience conjoined with his love of visual arts fostered his dreams of becoming a full-time artist. In pursuit of this dream, Kritsana then attended a prestigious Fine Art School in Thailand, Silprakorn University, where he chose a focus in sculpture.
Since arriving in Canada in 2011, Kritsana has dedicated himself to inspiring others through visual art. In 2016, Kritsana was a mentor for the Wood Buffalo Artist in Residency Program where 10 local emerging artists worked under his tutelage. He has also displayed four separate artworks during various editions of the igNIGHT exhibition in Fort McMurray, AB.
In 2017, Kritsana was one of five artists who exhibited in Beyond ‘the patch’ Stories of Wood Buffalo, an exhibition organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta for the Alberta Foundation of the Arts Traveling Exhibition Program (TREX).
Currently, Kritsana instructs art classes for children, youth and adults at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts.
kritsana2005.wixsite.com/kritsana-art(External link)
@artbykritsana
Project Goal
The Public Art Bench Program is a pilot project that is anticipated to be repeated in each community. This project is aimed at strengthening a visual connection between Wood Buffalo’s rural communities and its urban core.
The goal of this pilot project is to create four park benches designed by local creatives in collaboration with our rural communities that:
- enhance the connection between people and place;
- contribute to placemaking efforts and civic pride;
- respond to the history, current or future use of the respective park;
- broaden public experience of the arts;
- highlight the importance of arts and culture.
The Municipality recognizes the significance that public art can play in strengthening the community, building identity, developing creativity and increasing awareness of the arts in our lives as well as a bridge to the truth and reconciliation journey we are on.
The Public Art Bench Program directly aligns with the strategies set out in the Wood Buffalo Public Art Plan, and the priorities set out in the Wood Buffalo Culture Plan.
Budget
The total award for this project is $20,000 per artist/designer. The expected budget per bench is $10,000 including artist fees and bench fabrication. The selected artist will design and fabricate two “sister” benches. The bench designs are to be inspired through community engagement with residents and visitors to Vista Ridge Park in Saprae Creek Estates, or Anzac Community Garden Park in Anzac. One bench will be placed in the community park, and the “sister” bench is to be placed in Kiyām Community Park in Fort McMurray.
The following is included in the budget and to be undertaken by the selected artist/designer. Municipal staff will be available to support the selected artist/designer as needed.
- Community engagement with interested participants from Saprae Creek Estates (Vista Ridge) or Anzac
- Design concept creation
- Fabrication or manufacturing of the two benches
- Delivery and installation of the benches
- Sub-contractor and professional fees
- Insurance (general liability of up to $2M)
- Detailed maintenance package (note that desired lifespan of bench is 15 years)
Public Art Benches in Alberta
| Snail on a Leaf Bench at Celebration Garden in St. Albert by Karen Ho Fatt |
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| Conversations at the Rundle LRT Station in Calgary by Karen Ho Fatt |
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| Rhythms located in the Village Square Leisure Center, Calgary by Karen Ho Fatt |
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| End of the Line: Red Deer Elevator Row in Red Deer by Karen Ho Fatt |
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| Blooms on St. Thomas Street in St. Albert by Karen Ho Fatt |
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Site Information
There are three (3) sites for the community park bench project as follows:
| Site #1 - Vista Ridge Park |
Vista Ridge Park is located at 1 Spruce Valley Drive in the hamlet of Saprae Creek Estates and is an all-season recreation facility boasting 60 skiable acres for skiers, snowboarders, and downhill tubing. The park features a terrain park, meticulously groomed runs and a bunny hill for beginners, with two-quad chair lifts, an outdoor skate park, playground and a golf course.Interested proponents will have the opportunity to work with members of this community to inspire a park bench design. The selected artist/designer will fabricate or manufacture two “sister” benches.
HistoryThe hamlet of Saprae Creek is located 25 kilometres south of Fort McMurray and is the third largest community in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. It is situated on the crest of the Clearwater River Valley and can be accessed from Alberta Highway 69. Established in 1987, Saprae Creek is a forested acreage hamlet that serves as a bedroom community to Fort McMurray. Saprae Creek is home to Vista Ridge, and 715 residents as per the 2018 municipal census. |
| Site #2 - Anzac Community Garden and Park |
| Anzac Community Garden and Park is located at the intersection of Cheecham Drive and Stony Mountain Road in the hamlet of Anzac and was built in 2015 and is situated in the heart of the community. It features gathering areas used for meetings and small gatherings, on-site community gardens, and a gazebo.
Interested proponents will have the opportunity to work with members of this community to inspire a park bench design. The selected artist/designer will fabricate or manufacture two “sister” benches. HistoryThe hamlet of Anzac is on the western shore of Willow Lake in the southern region of the Municipality and is near Gregoire Lake Provincial Park. Located approximately 45 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray, Anzac can be accessed from Highways 63 and 881. Anzac is situated within a beautiful natural environment containing treasured resources such as lakes, streams, mature vegetation and wildlife habitats. The community was originally named Willow Lake but was renamed Anzac in 1917 as a railway stop on the Alberta Great Waterways Railway Line. It was named Anzac after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who surveyed the area after World War I. According to the 2018 census, there are 659 residents currently living in Anzac. The Anzac surrounding area is also home to Fort McMurray First Nation and the Willow Lake Métis. To help create a distinct character and sense of place, prominent buildings and other features such as public art, are encouraged to locate in the Community Core. |
| Site #3 - The Kiyām Community Park |
| Kiyām Community Park will be the destination for the second “sister” bench designed by each artist/designer. This project is aimed at strengthening a visual connection between Wood Buffalo’s rural communities and its urban core.
The ‘Kiyām Community Park,’ formerly referred to as the Franklin and Main Park, is a new park located at the busy intersection of Franklin Avenue and Main Street in downtown Fort McMurray. Kiyām is a Cree and Michif word meaning “Let it be,” and naming this park in local Indigenous languages is a way to honour Indigenous heritage in Wood Buffalo. The new Park’s name is the result of extensive engagement with Indigenous community representatives on an appropriate name for the park in a traditional language spoken in the region, commemorating Wood Buffalo’s Indigenous heritage. The Park will have unique features that stimulate the senses, tells our community’s and region’s story, and draws people to the area year-round in a beautiful setting that attracts the community, encourages downtown investment, and supports surrounding businesses. The Park benches will be placed in a strategic location, addressing the need for parks and outdoor spaces that contribute to improved health and safety and beautification, spurring downtown revitalization. Design of the Park includes accessible features such as community gathering spaces, a medicine wheel rock garden, micro businesses, an interactive water feature, a full-size basketball court, along with winter season activities such as ice skating and year-round lighting to enhance safety. HistoryFranklin Avenue is in the heart of the downtown core of Fort McMurray and is home to several businesses and residential buildings. The Franklin Hotel was the first hotel established in Fort McMurray and occupied the site from 1911 until 1934 when it was destroyed by fire. Seven years after the hotel was built, Angus M Sutherland purchased the hotel and a section of the building served as Sutherlands Drugs until 1921. In 1922 Frank O’Coffey purchased the building. The hotel featured a restaurant and a beer hall, a large wood stove separated the two areas. The hotel became the social hub of the community and served as a meeting place and a source of recreation for visitors and residents. Current and Future Use of the SiteThe Municipality is developing the site into a park which will be highly utilized as public open space. It is expected that the park will become an important social gathering place within the heart of the downtown, with businesses as well as children and their families from the many nearby businesses and schools enjoying this amenity. The park may also be used by people attending events or staying at the nearby hotels, when attendees/hotel patrons may ‘spill over’ into the park. The approved plan for the park is available in Appendix A – Approved Plan for Park. All works will be in public areas and as such, must not present any danger to public safety, health or welfare. |
| Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) | October 7, 2021 |
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| Artist Information Session | October 21, 2021 |
| Submission Deadline | November 18, 2021 |
| Notice of Award | December 10, 2021 |
| Rural Community Engagement | Winter 2021/22 |
| Fabrication and Installation | Spring/Summer 2022 |
*Schedule subject to change.
| All inquiries can be directed to: |
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Public Art Wood Buffalo Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Please reference Public Art Bench Program in all communications |