Jeff Collins, Artist in residence at the City of...

Monday, July 22, 2013

Jeff Collins, Artist in residence at the City of Edmonton Urban Forestry department

In June, the Edmonton Arts Council put out the call for the first official City of Edmonton departmental artist in residence at the Westwood Central Services yard with the Urban Forestry department. The residency is built around opportunities to follow the City’s urban foresters on field trips as they prune, plant, and maintain Edmonton’s trees and green spaces. We were happy to see many local artists apply, and are very excited to announce that Jeff Collins was selected for the residency.

Jeff Collins is a fixture in the Edmonton arts scene. He has been painting for more than 18 years and has developed an extensive body of landscape and abstract work. He has exhibited widely in Alberta and has a long history of involvement in Edmonton’s arts community, helping to establish ArtsHab 1 (where he currently resides) and its gallery, as well as working with the Alberta Craft Council, the Works Art and Design Festival and more.

Although he was born in Edmonton, Collins has also lived in a number of other cities in the province, ultimately returning to Edmonton specifically for the river valley and the forests. It’s clear why this residency was so appealing to him.

“There are places you can go in Edmonton’s river valley where you are miles from civilization, but at the same time, you’re in the heart of the city,” Collins says. “I love that the river valley has been kept so natural, with very little development.” Because of that, he’s looking forward to working in partnership with the urban foresters, watching their day-to-day operations, mutually sharing experiences and expertise with them, as well as seeing first-hand their vision for keeping the city green and beautiful.

Released in 2008, the Art of Living is the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Arts Council’s joint cultural plan. One of its major recommendations was the establishment of expanded artist-in-residence projects. Collins gives credit to the City of Edmonton for initiating the residency, saying that he was thrilled to see the posting. “In the last ten years, the arts have become very prominent in Edmonton, and average citizens are taking note of how important the arts are in their lives,” he says. “Especially under this administration, the City has helped to sustain the arts, make them flourish and grow.”

At the end of the day, Collins is also looking forward to the structure the residency will provide, giving him “an amazing opportunity to work every single day, nine to five, on a concentrated study to develop a body of work.” He plans to do a combination of traditional oil paintings on location with the foresters, as well as a parallel body of abstract work that will be “inspired by [his] surroundings in a deeper sense.”

Collins begins his six-month residency on Tuesday, July 23. Stay tuned for updates—we can’t wait to see how this project turns out!