Airport art an important expense

Kory Orban
Gateway Staff

Feb 15, 2012

Artwork can be ugly, offensive and pretentious, but it’s rarely a complete waste of money. Unfortunately that’s exactly the case made against the Edmonton International Airport’s installation of $1 million worth of artwork as a part of their recent renovations. Opponents have written the purchases off as a waste and expressed concern that the $25 “airport improvement fee” that paid for them is a needless cash-grab.

Alas, this is a common sentiment that seems to permeate Edmonton. When somebody wants to spruce something up with art, every time it’s condemned as extravagant and wasteful. “You can go to a museum or an art gallery if you want to see art,” said one passenger quoted on CTV’s website.

The argument that the art isn’t necessary might carry some weight if EIA was underfunded and unable to provide adequate service — but it’s not. Planes come and go all the time as scheduled. The airport functions and has room and reason to splurge on a few niceties. EIA’s renovations were to cost $1 billion, later reassessed to be closer to $675 million. Depending on which number you choose, the percentage of the total cost of the renovations that’s paying for the art is between 0.1 and 0.148 per cent.

These percentages are minuscule, immaterial, and despite what art opponents’ say, the art offers a return. It may not be readily measurable but it’s there. Mayor Stephen Mandel and others have expressed interest in making Edmonton a “world-class city,” and investment in the arts, especially in decorating one of the major gateways to the city, is a huge part of that.

Local artists created much of the work purchased by the EIA. This is important. Part of the effort to revitalize 118 Avenue has involved trying to entice artists to live in that area. Having a vibrant artistic community is desirable. To get that, you need to have artists. To have artists, you need to feed them. In order to feed them, you need to pay them. And to pay them, you need to commission artwork — like at the airport.

Beyond feeding the starving artists, you want your city to look pretty. People want to live in places that look nice. Improving the aesthetics of a city goes a long way towards bettering the morale and spirit of people who live in it.  And there is no better place to start than the airport.

People spend a lot of time waiting around these places. Hanging art on the walls will at least give frustrated passengers something nice to look at. One can hope that being able to see the pretty pictures and sculptures will create a more pleasant atmosphere. Would you rather be in front of a blank wall or art while sitting in uncomfortable chairs after dealing with security?

On the other side, because customers are often faced with lengthy waiting times, the exposure for contributing artists will be maximized. This is a location that can really help artists get their names out there.

The airport is often the first point of contact for newcomers to Edmonton, so displaying the artwork is a great way to make a good first impression. Albertans are often unfairly generalized as conservative hicks, and demonstrating an interest or appreciation for the arts can help turn this around.

The $25 dollar fee is probably legitimately described as a cash grab. Even if it is put towards a good cause and used responsibly, it’s still money out of the pocket of the traveller. Nevertheless, the benefits surely justify the small expense. Having the art alongside the other renovations is the difference between doing an adequate job, and doing a great job in improving the EIA.

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