Indigenous Art Park

The City of Edmonton, in partnership with the Edmonton Arts Council, is developing an Indigenous Art Park to permanently exhibit Indigenous artworks within Queen Elizabeth Park.

The Indigenous Art Park will feature up to six artworks by Canadian Indigenous artists. Artists will be asked to create artworks that “tell the story of this place” within the Indigenous Art Park.

Project Timeline

Project Overview

About the Site
The Indigenous Art Park is set within upper Queen Elizabeth Park, located in Edmonton's North Saskatchewan River valley. Nestled between downtown and Old Strathcona, the park spans two key tourist and citizen destinations and overlooks landmarks such as Alberta’s Legislature Building and the High Level Bridge.

The immediate area of the park was originally part of River Lot #11 homesteaded by early Métis settler Joseph MacDonald.  The land a few miles south of the river was historically the reserve of Chief Papaschase’s Band, who had signed an adhesion to Treaty Six.

Edmonton is home to Canada’s second-largest urban Indigenous community. For centuries, this area has been a place of gathering, relationship building, and commerce for many peoples. It was here that early relationships led to the development of Alberta’s Treaty No. 6 Territory, the Province of Alberta, and the City of Edmonton.

About the Indigenous Art Park
The Indigenous Art Park was approved as part of the Queen Elizabeth Park Master Plan in August 2013. Planning for the art park began with a weekend “visioning workshop” at Sun & Moon Aboriginal Arts Society in September 2013, where Indigenous artists, community members, and the general public were informed about the park concept, and engaged in its creation.

Funding for the Indigenous Art Park was approved by City Council in December 2014, and a steering committee was created. It includes members from the City of Edmonton, Edmonton Arts Council, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, Métis Nation of Alberta, Elders and Indigenous artists/community members.

Up to six artworks may be selected for the Indigenous Art Park. Selected artists will be required to engage with Treaty No. 6 First Nations, Métis people and other Indigenous citizens of Edmonton, and to work with Indigenous knowledge holders and Elders to ensure that the artworks will be relevant and meaningful to this place.

For more information on the art selection process and the artist, please visit the Edmonton Arts Council’s Indigenous Art Park webpage.

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Program & Project Development