“Comm-UNITY Polaroids, Alexis Marie Chute” & “My Work's Life, Vanessa Tignanelli”          

4th Street Promenade Alley of Light, The Works International Visual Arts Society and The Places Art & Design in Public Places
February 1 - April 30

Comm-UNITY Polaroids, Alexis Marie Chute

"CommUNITY: Physically Distanced, Socially Inseparable" is a powerful photo-art project by Canadian artist Alexis Marie Chute, a testament to love and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using her vintage Polaroid camera, from 2020 to 2022, Alexis captured and transformed images of her local community. Through drawing, painting, and mixed-media, including nail polish, she expressed the importance of connection and care, even when physically apart. It was her way of spending time with the people she cared about.

In 2021, the project expanded globally as Alexis invited friends, colleagues, and family worldwide to contribute their photographs. Using digital darkroom technology, she processed these images into physical Polaroid prints. With each artwork, Alexis opens a window into the shared experiences of her socially distanced community, illustrating creativity’s power to bridge distances and foster togetherness.

The "CommUNITY" collection features 283 Polaroid artworks and encapsulates the spirit of unity and resilience during unprecedented times.

My Work's Life, Vanessa Tignanelli        

The artist Vanessa Tignanelli confronts the criticism that documentary photography is not an art form, by painting on photographs selected from her portfolio. Adding subtle texture to bring the images to life, she encourages the viewer to observe and consider these moments that she has borne witness to. They are far more than the digital images we see moving quickly past our screens. A story takes a thousand hours to create, yet exists only a day online in its oversaturated platform. Its impact remains alive forever in her. If the goal was to rehumanize these people’s stories, she does so once again by bringing them into existence off-screen and as a tangible piece of art.

Open: 24/7
Access: Location is wheelchair accessible. Exhibition is child friendly.
For more information see infocusphoto.ca & theworks.ab.ca

10129-104 Street NW, Edmonton, South-facing wall of the Armstrong Block Building