In 1987, with a goal of encouraging and supporting local artists, Strathcona County Council approved the creation of a Permanent Art Collection. From its inaugural year, which saw the purchase of 7 pieces, the Permanent Collection has grown to include over 340 artworks including watercolour, oil and acrylic paintings, pottery, handmade paper, sculpture, photographs, fabric, ink drawings, serigraph, glass, monotypes, mixed media and fiber arts. The Strathcona Permanent Art Collection brings together a variety of visual art that celebrates our community culture. It is enjoyed within County buildings, in our open and urban spaces and in other innovative ways and through various projects.  The collection engages and creates a sense of place for our residents and visitors, celebrating the past, present and future.  

Every year the Art Collection Advisory Committee invites artists to submit their artwork for consideration to be purchased. Residents of Strathcona County, artists with a connection to the County, equity seeking artists from Treaty 6, and artists who have been part of a juried exhibition at Gallery@501 or a public art project with Strathcona County are eligible to submit artwork. 

Important dates

All applicants must submit their artworks through the online form which will be available February 14, 2025 - May 15, 2025. 

Apply Now!

Shortlisted artists will be contacted to bring their artwork in person to be viewed by the jury in June 2025, exact dates and location to be determined. 

All artists will be notified of their application status by June 15, 2025.

General guidelines

  • 1. Who is eligible to participate?

     Permanent link to Who is eligible to participate?
    Who is eligible to participate?

    • Artists residing within the municipal boundaries of Strathcona County  who are 18 years of age or older.   

    • Artists who identify as being from an equity deserving group residing within Treaty 6. Equity deserving groups are: Women, Indigenous peoples, visible/racialized minority persons, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ persons. 

    • Artists who have been part of a juried art exhibition (Gallery@501) or public art opportunity with Strathcona County

    • Artists living in Canada with a significant connection to Strathcona County who are 18 years of age or older.  

    Strathcona County is committed to equity in the arts. With the intention of building a permanent art collection that is representative of our diverse community, the Art Collection Advisory Committee are committed to addressing bias and improving diversity within our collection efforts. We encourage and welcome submissions that represent the diversity of this community, including representation from artists who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and people with disabilities. We recognize there may be barriers for some when applying. If you require accommodations please contact the Public Art curator by email at public.art@strathcona.ca

  • 2. How do I participate as an artist living outside of Strathcona County?

     Permanent link to How do I participate as an artist living outside of Strathcona County?
    How do I participate as an artist living outside of Strathcona County?

    Artists who do not live in Strathcona County but have a significant connection to the area are welcome to apply to participate. These participants are asked to provide a brief description of their relationship to the area within their application. Applications from non-Strathcona County Residents will be reviewed by the Art Collection Advisory Committee.

    The Art Collection Advisory Committee will review and evaluate responses with equal consideration given to: 

    • The overall impact of your contributions to Strathcona County: 

      • Have you ever worked or volunteered in Strathcona County? If so, for how many years? 

      • Have you made any artistic contributions to Strathcona County?  

      • Have you exhibited your artwork in Strathcona County? 

      • Does your artistic practice have a considerable focus on Strathcona County?  

    • The significance Strathcona County holds for you personally: 

      • Have you ever lived in Strathcona County? If so, how many years?

      • Are you an active member of a community organization in Strathcona County? 

    Artists are encouraged to contact the Public Art curator prior to applying, especially if their connection to the County is not covered through the examples above.

  • 3. I need help with my application

     Permanent link to I need help with my application
    I need help with my application

    Contact Strathcona County Recreation, Parks and Culture for assistance:

    780-467-2211 

    artacquisition@strathcona.ca 

      

Artwork requirements

Artwork sales and donations

Jury and selection process

View artwork selected for purchase in 2024

Eleven artworks and one series (of eight artworks) were recommended for purchase in 2024. These artworks will be on display in the Community Centre through July 2025. Click on an image below to view the gallery. 

Samantha Williams-Chapelsky
Samantha Williams-Chapelsky
Erik Johnson
Erik Johnson
Kirsten Levitt
Kirsten Levitt
Reyna Dye-Baillie
Reyna Dye-Baillie
Tammy S. Henkel
Tammy S. Henkel
Shelby Willis
Shelby Willis
Crystal Driedger
Crystal Driedger
Sabine Hahnel
Sabine Hahnel
Crystal Driedger
Crystal Driedger
Kirsten Levitt
Kirsten Levitt
Judy Madden
Judy Madden
Jamie Panych
Jamie Panych
  • Samantha Williams-Chapelsky

    Samantha Williams-Chapelsky

    Prairie Lines, 2023

    Cold wax and oil on birch panel

    Samantha Williams-Chapelsky completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Alberta in 2009, with distinction, majoring in painting and art history. Samantha showcases her work in both public and commercial galleries each year and is most known for her abstract landscape paintings using textured acrylic and oil paints. Taking inspiration from the stunning beauty of North America’s vast and diverse terrain Samantha creates large-scale landscapes that employ techniques of impressionist and expressionist abstraction to harness the powerful emotions these spaces can evoke. 

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Erik Johnson

    Erik Johnson

    Mirage: Stairway to Oinky's, 2023

    Acrylic on masonite

    Erik Johnson (he/him) is a painter, sculptor, and storyteller with a BFA from the University of Alberta. He grew up in the car-dependent suburbs of Sherwood Park Alberta, and is interested in depicting human-made environments in which humans feel unwelcome. In his paintings, he uses dystopian sci-fi worldbuilding to explore real-world issues like car dependency, pollution, labor, automation, AI, invasion of digital privacy, and the use of technology as a Band-Aid for larger issues. He uses his fictional worlds to tell stories through painting, drawing inspiration from various visual storytelling mediums such as graphic novels and film. In his sculpture practice, Johnson creates representational likenesses through his clay portrait busts. He is interested in using musicians as portraiture subjects, drawing from their music's expressive nature as a source for expressive potential in clay. 

    I’ve used this series of acrylic paintings to create a fictional dystopian sci-fi world piece by piece, and to tell a story revolving around our relationship with machines, technology and automation. The details of this fictional world are based on various real-world issues that concern me but warped and exaggerated to be more noticeable and distinct. It can be difficult to recognize something as a problem to be solved when you have been deeply immersed in it since birth, such as the issue of North America's car dependency. Underfunded public transit and a lack of walkability robs agency from those unable or unwilling to drive and creates a sense of isolation and loneliness that many try to alleviate with online virtual interactions. My paintings reflect on how a world built for machines rather than people denies our lives of fulfillment, belonging and meaning. 


    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Kirsten Levitt

    Kirsten Levitt

    Fourteen, 2024

    Cold wax on canvas

    Growing up in Alberta we had family that lived in Saskatchewan. As a kid I remember the road trip we always took multiple times every year. As I got older, I would often go alone to visit my family. Highway 14 was etched in my mind. It was a bridge between my youth and my teenage years. The time I spent visiting my cousin was the beginning of my independence and the highway represented that. As an adult I still take the same route with my own children. There is a bittersweetness for the once vibrant towns with family stores are now closed; an ever changing landscape. This painting is a portal into the past, the present, and the future depending on what the viewer brings to it. 

    Kirsten is a visual artist based out of Strathcona County in Alberta, Canada. In 2006, she received a Fine Arts Diploma from Grant MacEwan University, dabbling in various mediums. It was painting that stole her heart and she hasn't looked back since. Kirsten has been painting with acrylic for many years but has become more aware of the environmental impact of using plastic in paint. Since then, Kirsten has been exploring more sustainable mediums. Most of her newer paintings are done with cold-wax paint, an eco-friendly alternative. Kirsten's paintings explore the simple and every day, with an emphasis on colour, light, and movement. Somewhere between abstract and realism, Kirsten bridges these two opposites to create pathways to memory and feeling. 

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Reyna Dye-Baillie

    Reyna Dye-Baillie

    Outstanding, 2023

    Torn paper collage on canvas

    Reyna Dye-Baillie has been a member of this community for over 40 years.  Her collage work can be found in various places including The Strathcona County Collection (2017) and the personal collection of former Alberta Premiere Rachel Notley.  Working primarily with thrifted and found materials, Reyna ‘paints’ with paper creating a new life for otherwise unwanted items. 

     

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

     

  • Tammy S. Henkel

    Tammy S. Henkel

    Art at Play, series, 2022-2023

    Magazine collage

    I am an Alberta artist; born and raised in Edmonton. I have had the best of both suburban and rural environments growing up. I studied Math & Economics at the University of Alberta, for three years before switching to Fine Arts. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts (Art & Design) in 1994. In 2003 I earned a Bachelor of Applied Interior Design from Mount Royal in Calgary. I endeavour to make my artwork happy and joyful. Gestural quality is important to me, as is composition. My process is consistent, but the output is eclectic, depending on which medium I am working with. Lately magazine collage has taken priority, but I still find time to draw, paint (watercolour & acrylic) and design interiors. I like dynamic and complex forms contained in square or circular formats. 

    The "Art at Play" series started in 2019 as a Covid coping diversion. It continues to be a series I add to because I love creating naturalistic magazine collages. The challenge of finding magazines pages with virtual textures and distinct colour takes time. I have folders broken down into: red, orange, yellow, green, green-blue, light blue, blue, indigo, magenta, purple, brown, black, grey, white, light neutrals, dark neutrals, flesh-pink, text, multi-colour pattern, and flowers.  


    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Shelby Willis

    Shelby Willis

    The Markings on My Heart, 2023

    Acrylic on canvas

    With a background in environmental sciences and ecology, Shelby Willis, brings her passion for nature and wildlife to life in soulful and colourful animal renditions. Each painting is created with the intent of exuding positive energy, and inspiring an outside of the box appreciation for nature. 

    I have imagined the marks of motherhood on my heart as beautiful folk art motifs showcasing elements of nature. This painting features hummingbirds and lullabies. This mama bear and baby is part of the "Markings on My Heart" collection. This body of work is reflective of my current immersion into the throws of motherhood with the birth of my first daughter in February 2022. It has been a year of many firsts that have etched a mark on my heart, and I know that it will never be the same again. 

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Crystal Driedger

    Crystal Driedger

    Enjoy The Day, 2023            

    Coloured pencil on Bristol paper       

    This little hummingbird piqued my interest as a gardener and naturalist. The tiny bird looked so small compared to the day lily.    

    Crystal Driedger is an artist and illustrator passionate about exploring the natural world. She graduated from the Design program at MacEwan University, specializing in Illustration, and has spent the past 20 years immersed in the fine art and illustration world. Crystal's work celebrates the diversity and richness of plants and animals in both wild and urban environments. Her art is a beautiful testament to the intricacies of nature, capturing the unique textures, colours, and personalities of everything from cows to heirloom vegetables. Her work has been shown in several international botanical exhibitions via the American Society of Botanical Artists.  Crystal is a sessional instructor at MacEwan University and teaches Illustration to the Design & Studio Arts students. She loves to share her knowledge and passion with her students, hoping to inspire and encourage a lifelong relationship with the visual arts.  Her work can be seen at the Royal Alberta Museum, Telus World of Science, Fort Edmonton Park and in several private and public collections. She will attend her first international artist residency in Oak Spring Garden, VA, USA this July for their prestigious botanical program. 

    2024 Art Acquisition 

  • Sabine Hahnel

    Sabine Hahnel

    Where the secret lives, 2024

    Acrylic on canvas

    Sabine Hahnel, a Canadian artist of German descent, defies artistic boundaries. Her captivating creations span prairie and mountain landscapes, enchanting forests, and vibrant impressionistic florals. Entirely self-taught, she blends traditional and contemporary techniques, infusing her work with emotion. Sabine’s portfolio includes expansive landscapes and floral stills in acrylics and oils, as well as whimsical watercolours. The unifying element is her dynamic interplay of colour and light. Her journey celebrates freedom, rooted in formative years in East Germany. Despite a nursing career spanning four decades and her role as a bison rancher, Sabine’s artistic spirit thrives as it transcends boundaries, reflecting her connection with nature, love for vibrant colours, and unwavering spirit of creativity. 

    Trees stand silent, their branches adorned in gentle hues of gold and amber. The sun's warm glow filters through the leaves casting a tranquil ambiance. The scene invites contemplation of a serene tableau under the caress of nature's twilight palette. 


    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Crystal Driedger

    Crystal Driedger

    May Flower Bean, 2022

     

    Coloured pencil on Bristol paper

    This piece is a botanical drawing of the May Flower bean, a critical heirloom plant in North America as it was one of the foods that helped the first settlers survive their first winters in their new home. This piece took over 100 hours to complete resulting from careful colour matching to the specimen. This slow creation method ensures accuracy and allows time to create an exciting composition. This bean is also known as the Amish Knuttle Bean - Mayflower (Phaseolus vulgaris) These beans are said to have been brought to North America on the Mayflower in 1620 followed by a long history of being circulated in the south-eastern USA. This is a very productive climber with short bumpy pods containing small square white seeds blotched with rose coloured patches. The young string beans are delicious in flavour and the dry beans are also excellent. 

     

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Kirsten Levitt

    Kirsten Levitt

    Lemons! Limes!, 2024

    Cold wax on canvas

    Kirsten is a visual artist based out of Strathcona County in Alberta, Canada. In 2006, she received a Fine Arts Diploma from Grant MacEwan University, dabbling in various mediums. It was painting that stole her heart and she hasn't looked back since. Kirsten has been painting with acrylic for many years but has become more aware of the environmental impact of using plastic in paint. Since then, Kirsten has been exploring more sustainable mediums. Most of her newer paintings are done with cold-wax paint, an eco-friendly alternative. Kirsten's paintings explore the simple and every day, with an emphasis on colour, light, and movement. Somewhere between abstract and realism, Kirsten bridges these two opposites to create pathways to memory and feeling. 

    This painting is an exploration of simplicity. Through the use of complementary colours, I wanted to direct the viewers' attention to a moment in time. By keeping the background and the bowl minimalistic it allows the complete focus to be directed to the subject matter. My goal was to evoke memory and even the taste and smell of lemons and limes, two of my favourite fruits. 

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Judy Madden

    Judy Madden

    County Hall, 2024

    Reduction lino cut

    Art has always been a part of my life. I have always enjoyed exploring a variety of techniques and developing my skills through formal classes and on my own. Currently, I spend most of my time creating prints using a variety of printmaking techniques. Lino printing, mono printing, and silkscreen printing are often combined with themselves and watercolour painting. 

    I have spent most of the waking hours of the last 6 plus years working on the second floor of Strathcona County Hall. I am retiring at the end of April. This print represents my farewell to that time along with the geese that often spend time on the roof strutting along the parapet or guarding their nests. 

    2024 Acquisition
    Strathcona County Art Collection

  • Jamie Panych

    Jamie Panych

    Winter's Eve, 2020

    Acrylic 

    I enjoy painting old buildings in landscapes. Especially barns. Growing up on a farm I have spent lots of time in our barns, so it is fun to imagine the lives of humans and animals that took place in those old structures. I like to experiment with unusual colours in an effort to create a mood in a painting, something that would be more interesting to view upon.   

    Jamie Panych was born and raised in Alberta. She grew up on a farm in Lamont County where she learned to respect nature. She worked at newspapers and printing companies in Edmonton and area, learning graphic arts along the way. But painting became her passion and after graduating from Art School, she moved to Strathcona County to live on an acreage. She enjoys living in the country where there is never-ending inspiration for her paintings.

    2024 Art Acquisition 

     

Direct questions and concerns to Strathcona County Recreation, Parks and Culture:

Phone: 780-467-2211
Email: artacquisition@strathcona.ca

Receive timely updates on artist calls, exhibition opportunities, and Gallery@501 programs

Subscribe to the Gallery@501 e-newsletter

Personal information is collected under the authority of section 4(c) of the Protection of Privacy Act and will be used to manage and administer Strathcona County's eNewsletters.  If you have questions regarding the collection, use or disclosure of this information contact Curator, Gallery@501, Strathcona County, Recreation, Parks and Culture, at 780-410-8585 or artgallery@strathcona.ca.
 

Related topics

Arts and Culture grants

Visual arts programs

Arts and culture

Last updated: Thursday, June 19, 2025
Page ID: 38811