ESPA 2010 Mural Project (aka "Transition" Mural Project)
Edmonton
AB
Award Category:
Urban Fragments
Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA)
As socially-conscious artists, our objective for the “Transition” Mural was to present a visual interpretation of a more idealized urban environment: a city without dependence on environmentally-destructive fossil fuels to meet our energy needs, and good health and spiritual prosperity for all its inhabitants.
The two central characters representing the 'sad city' and the 'sustainable city' are meant to inspire social interaction and demonstrate the possibility of the evolution of the former into the latter. The message is that disease can be reversed via stimulating sustainable influence. On a more practical level, we also aimed to provide meaningful summer employment to struggling artists.
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“The process of painting a mural on a visible and significant downtown building is not without its challenges, as the Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA) recently discovered. Budgetary issues and procedural requirements necessitated a complex series of negotiations with artists, the City of Edmonton, and product suppliers. The many unforeseen circumstances only galvanized the resolve of those involved with the project, who remained committed to bringing this project to life--despite its overwhelming challenges. The resulting mural not only creates a successful addition to downtown life through public art, but represents an extraordinary amount of research, volunteerism, fundraising and sweat equity for the many participants involved.”