A Glimpse of Reuse at The Works Art & Design Festival

Photo Credit: Siao

It was another expressive and musing year at North America's largest, free outdoor art and design festival. This year, from June 23 - July 5th, there were 55 exhibits across 29 venues within downtown Edmonton and throughout the city for the The Works Art & Design Festival. Although there were many brilliant and vast performances, design and art pieces at the festival, I wanted to give a nod to the reusers.

Right in Churchill square, Canopy by José Luis Torres brought reprieve from the beaming sunshine. This temporary installation was made of recycled and biodegradable materials. It is reminiscent of a stroll in a forest and was a wonderfully interactive piece where many Edmontonians walked through and took a break on the benches underneath. You can see large pieces of the recycled material he used in this installation. This is his second year exhibiting in Edmonton. Last year, he featured Mutations at Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture.

 

 

Photo Credit: Siao

My favorite part of these festivals are always the crafting sessions and there were several stations located in City Hall and Churchill Square.  Drawing from all the different art forms found at the festival, kids of all ages were able to use those inspirations to make their own pieces. I am always awed by their creations and curious to find the next José Luis Torres.

Photo Credit:Siao

In the midst of the festival, there were a lot of vendors on the food street and art market. One stall had a great collection of prints on dictionary pages. This could be a fun idea for your own project. Instead of dictionary pages, you could use old music sheets, encyclopedia pages, or telephone books.

Photo Credit: Siao

If you missed The Works Art & Design Festival, there are still many great art and craft events around Edmonton to check out:

• Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival - August 11-21, 2016
• Kaleido Family Art Festival - September 9-11, 2016

Siao (Volunteer)