The Nation's Cultural Capital

With a thriving downtown arts district, a lively art, music and theatre scene, it is no wonder that Edmonton was named as a Canadian Cultural Capital for 2007. Emerging as the winner in the category for areas with a population of more than 125,000, the city received up to $2 million in funding towards special projects that celebrate the arts.

The Cultural Capitals of Canada awards recognize the achievements of communities that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the arts and culture. Prizes are awarded for merit, for the quality of the proposed project and for the previous achievements of the candidate communities.

• Cultural Capital – The Plans: The year 2007 was dedicated to ‘Building Connections’ as Edmonton showcased its cultural vitality and the diversity of its population. As the city moved to strengthen the ties between citizens and artists after being named one of Canada’s cultural capitals, it put forward a variety of projects, including an Edmonton Poetry Festival. Nightworks: Cultural Capital Celebrates New Year’s Eve, a series of performances and light displays, highlighted the city’s urban landscape while Edmonton Explorations featured visual and media arts productions and exhibits by local artists. More information is available at www.edmontonculturalcapital.com.

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS:

• Art Galleries: The Edmonton region is home to more than 60 art galleries. Twice a year, in the spring and fall, the Gallery Walk offers advertised, unguided events promoting the member galleries, all of which are within a nine-block walking distance. Located just west of the downtown core in the 124th Street area, the Gallery Walk is the first of its kind in Canada. It was formed in 1981 to promote art and artists of merit, focusing especially on work by Canadian artists.

• Ballet: Alberta Ballet, which performs in Edmonton, in addition to Calgary, is Canada’s third-largest dance company. It consists of 26 classically trained professional dancers from Canada, Australia, Colombia, England, France, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United States. Edmonton performances are in the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

• Dance: Edmonton's only complete season of contemporary dance, presented by the Brian Webb Dance Company, is recognized as the largest dance season west of Toronto. Guest artists, meanwhile, do more than perform – they take part in workshops and artist talks.

• Downtown Arts District: A revitalized Sir Winston Churchill Square anchors the Downtown Arts District. Redeveloped into a cultural centrepiece in 2004, the square has become an entertainment destination for more than one million visitors as it hosts a wide number of events and festivals throughout the year. On the square’s exterior boundaries, visitors will find the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, the Citadel Theatre, and the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library.

The Art Gallery of Alberta is Alberta’s longest running cultural institution, with a growing collection of more than 5,000 works of art, including historical and contemporary paintings and sculptures by Canadian and international artists. The new Art Gallery of Alberta (open since January 31, 2010) is an 85,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility and a premiere presentation venue.  Designed by Randall Stout Architects, Inc. of Los Angeles, the building is itself a work of art. Located in the heart of Edmonton’s Downtown Arts District on Sir Winston Churchill Square, the gallery secures Edmonton’s reputation as a world class city and centre for visual art.

The Citadel Theatre is Canada’s largest regional theatre and the only classical theatre in western Canada. Its three stages, the Maclab, Rice and Shoctor are adjacent to the Lee Pavilion, which houses an indoor waterfall and lush exotic plants.

The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is a 1,900-seat concert hall that features the largest concert organ in Canada. Designed with acoustical needs in mind, it is home to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, a 56-piece professional orchestra that is one of Canada’s foremost orchestral ensembles. Since its inaugural concert in 1920, the ESO has played with the world’s greatest artists including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Ben Heppner, Frederica von Stade among others. During the summer, the ESO goes outdoors with its annual outdoor festival, Symphony Under The Sky.

TIX on the Square in Churchill Square is the place to find discounted same-day performance tickets as well as tickets to a wide variety of upcoming shows.

• Folk Connection: Folkways Records, which began in a small New York City office in 1948, set out to document and preserve people’s music from around the world. Moses Asch, Folkway’s founder, would come to develop a connection with Edmonton’s University of Alberta and the city’s lively folk music scene. A complete set of the Folkways recordings at the University of Alberta, the Moses and Frances Asch Collection of Folkways Recordings, now provides a crucial reference for world music study and research.

• Opera: Edmonton Opera, established in 1963, is a regional opera company recognized as a leader in the production and promotion of innovative, challenging and audience-driven opera. Beverly Sills made her Canadian operatic debut in the Edmonton Opera performance of LUCIA di LAMMERMOOR and today the opera company performs in the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

• Theatre: With distinguished drama programs at the University of Alberta or the demanding visual and performing arts programs at Grant MacEwan College, Edmonton has become home to 20 theatre companies and dozens of acting co-ops. Alternative, collective, community based, improvisation and dinner theatre are just part of what a theatre lover will find in this city. Eight theatre companies can be found in the historic Old Strathcona district.