Edmonton Art Parks: 7 outdoor staycation spots

Giant rocks, a vaulted willow, a boy with dog and magpies art worth exploring

Image | Amber Paquette, Shela Amulaku, Frankie Smith

Caption: Amber Paquette, historian laureate for Edmonton, tours Shela Amulaku, Frankie Smith and others around Indigenous art in ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)

If you're on staycation and you like to mix art and nature, here's seven Edmonton art parks you don't want to miss.

ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞

The first part of the name ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ means "I am of the Earth" and is an ode to the ancestral lands of the Cree. River Lot 11 is a nod to Joseph McDonald, a Métis settler who once lived on the site. Works by six Indigenous artists are featured in this green space at 10380 Queen Elizabeth Park Rd.

Terwillegar Park

Some might say the public art in Terwillegar Park rocks. Three interactive sculptures by artist by Royden Mills, Potential, Resonant Point and Beyond Listening, invite park goers to contemplate and listen to the natural landscape at 10 Rabbit Hill Rd., near the Terwillegar Footbridge in the city's southwest.

Media Video | (not specified) : Edmonton Art Parks

Caption: Our Edmonton host Adrienne Lamb gives a tour of five art parks.

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Watch Our Edmonton: The Staycation Edition Saturday at 10 a.m., Sunday at noon and 11 a.m. on Monday on CBC Edmonton TV and the CBC GEM.

Paul Kane Park

Paul Kane Park at 103rd Avenue and 122nd Street in central Edmonton is teeming with art, boasting an ornamental pond, wooden benches and pieces like John Robinson's Boy With Dog. The park is named after artist Paul Kane who died in 1871, leaving behind a collection of landscapes.

Image | Boy with Dog by John Robinson

Caption: Boy with Dog by John Robinson is one of the many interesting finds in Paul Kane Park. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)

Belgravia Park

Described as a community jewel this green space at 115th Street and 73rd Avenue was redeveloped with an artistic flare back in 2008. The art park features a series of outdoor labyrinths and a variety of sculptures. You can find it and others on this art parks map(external link) produced by the Edmonton Arts Council.

Callingwood Park

Poetry is the word at Callingwood Park, 17740 69th Ave., where close to 30 works written by community residents of all ages are etched into the pathway by the Callingwood Park Pavilion. It also has a seriously cool and active skateboard park.

Image | Vaulted Willow

Caption: The head-turning Vaulted Willow is a work created in 2014 by Marc Fornes and THEVERYMANY studio. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)

Borden Park

This is one of Edmonton's oldest parks, established in 1906, with mature trees, lots of space and art at 7507 Borden Park Rd. There are eye-popping pieces like Vaulted Willow by Marc Fornes/THEVERYMANY and Carousel by Nicole Galellis. Currently there are also 10 temporary sculptures located throughout the park. It's part of an Edmonton Arts Council program to rotate pieces in the space, swapping them out every couple of years.

Rossdale Linear Park

This strip of Edmonton's river valley is dedicated to a bird many love to hate.
The Rossdale Linear Park, 94th Avenue and 101st Street, sits in front of Edmonton Fire Station Number 21 and features The Magpies' Nests art installation by Edmontonians Kevin Sehn and Chai Duncan.

Image | The Magpies' Nests

Caption: The Magpies' Nests celebrates Edmonton's loudest birds at Rossdale Linear Park. (Adrienne Lamb/CBC)