2021 Winner
2021 Winners
Travel Alberta
The Art of Winter
It’s no secret that Alberta is home to some of the most iconic views in all of Canada. Its Rocky Mountain ranges and pristine glacier lakes dominate search results for Canada (67% of results on Google Image Search) and represent some of the most recognizable landscapes in the world.
But beauty isn’t enough, and as the influence of social media has grown, we’ve seen an oversaturation of incredible travel photography fill our feeds. Iconic views have become wallpaper and Alberta’s landscapes stopped being a differentiator.
Winter in Alberta presents additional problems as the idea of frigid temperatures and heavy snowfalls cause many Canadians to escape to warmer climates instead. To convince Canadians to embrace winter in Alberta, they had to show them more than fresh powder, they needed to communicate the romance and magic the season could offer.
The Art of Winter: A travel campaign where art is the medium and the message. Art would provide the opportunity to create an idealized portrait of winter in Alberta and unlock an emotional resonance that cannot be achieved through photography alone. In working with local artists, they demonstrate that Alberta is not just a series of breathtaking landscapes but a diverse and artistic cultural hub as well.
The Art of Winter consisted of commissioning 10 pieces of original artwork from local Albertan artists, each one carefully chosen to represent the province’s diverse people and regions. Artists from different specializations were selected to appeal to each of the senses and deliver a transportive multi-sensory marriage of visual art, music, storytelling, and poetry.
To challenge the notion that Alberta’s winter is dark and desolate, the project launched on the Winter Solstice (the longest night of the year), with a physical installation titled SOLAR FLARE: an interactive light sculpture resembling a human-made sun. It was used to light up the mountains of Kananaskis Country and serve as a hopeful beacon for prospective travellers.
Artwork commissioned and the region represented is as follows: Carmen Frank, “Winter Warmth,” acrylic painting, Prairies; Matthew Cardinal, “Murmuring/warmth,” original music, amiskwaciy; Jessy Dion, “Untitled,” diorama/sculpture, Grand Prairie; Jill Thomson, “Urban Winter Alberta,” oil painting, Edmonton; Jason Carter, “Always Look Up And Marvel At The Beauty Of It All’ Whispered Mother Bear Lovingly To Her Cubs,” painting, Little Red River Cree Nation; Katheryn Gwun-Yeen ?? Lennon, “A Speck Among Giants,” poetry, audio, Edmonton; Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett, “SOLAR FLARE,” light sculpture, Calgary/Kananaskis; and Raneece Buddan, “Sledding at Gallagher Park,” mixed media, Edmonton, as well as Justina Smith Vermilion, “Early winter afternoon VI,” acrylic painting and Adriana Oni?a, “Landing in Edmonton, December,” poetry, audio.
Original art inspired by Alberta’s urban, rural and mountain environments was the medium and the message, living both offline and online. Each piece took on a life of its own after the project concluded, whether that meant inspiring additional artwork, being featured in galleries, or touring the province.
A virtual exhibition featuring the work was launched on The Globe and Mail, pairing each artwork with the artist’s personal story detailing their process, inspiration and connection to Alberta. To dial up the immersion further, an original song was commissioned by Juno-nominated Indigenous musician Matthew Cardinal, intended to be played while users browsed the exhibition.
With Canadians worn down by a nonstop negative news cycle, the Art of Winter arrived to provide a break from the bleak. They took over news and social media feeds and introduced doomscrollers to a digital gallery that transported them to Alberta. Art in the place of ads.
Despite a 40% drop in travel searches for other destinations YoY during COVID-19 lockdowns, they raised Alberta-based travel searches by 8% during the campaign. Post engagement survey showed 42% of respondents would consider travelling to Alberta in the winter. Their audience spent 15,741 total hours viewing the project and the series received 90,000+ unanimously positive social engagements. The most common takeaway: “Beautiful!”.
Artist Carmen Frank went on to create a whole collection inspired by the project which has sold online for thousands of dollars and Solar Flare installation was featured throughout the province with plans to tour further. Artist Jason Carter’s piece can be seen in his Canmore gallery with prints available online.
But beauty isn’t enough, and as the influence of social media has grown, we’ve seen an oversaturation of incredible travel photography fill our feeds. Iconic views have become wallpaper and Alberta’s landscapes stopped being a differentiator.
Winter in Alberta presents additional problems as the idea of frigid temperatures and heavy snowfalls cause many Canadians to escape to warmer climates instead. To convince Canadians to embrace winter in Alberta, they had to show them more than fresh powder, they needed to communicate the romance and magic the season could offer.
The Art of Winter: A travel campaign where art is the medium and the message. Art would provide the opportunity to create an idealized portrait of winter in Alberta and unlock an emotional resonance that cannot be achieved through photography alone. In working with local artists, they demonstrate that Alberta is not just a series of breathtaking landscapes but a diverse and artistic cultural hub as well.
The Art of Winter consisted of commissioning 10 pieces of original artwork from local Albertan artists, each one carefully chosen to represent the province’s diverse people and regions. Artists from different specializations were selected to appeal to each of the senses and deliver a transportive multi-sensory marriage of visual art, music, storytelling, and poetry.
To challenge the notion that Alberta’s winter is dark and desolate, the project launched on the Winter Solstice (the longest night of the year), with a physical installation titled SOLAR FLARE: an interactive light sculpture resembling a human-made sun. It was used to light up the mountains of Kananaskis Country and serve as a hopeful beacon for prospective travellers.
Artwork commissioned and the region represented is as follows: Carmen Frank, “Winter Warmth,” acrylic painting, Prairies; Matthew Cardinal, “Murmuring/warmth,” original music, amiskwaciy; Jessy Dion, “Untitled,” diorama/sculpture, Grand Prairie; Jill Thomson, “Urban Winter Alberta,” oil painting, Edmonton; Jason Carter, “Always Look Up And Marvel At The Beauty Of It All’ Whispered Mother Bear Lovingly To Her Cubs,” painting, Little Red River Cree Nation; Katheryn Gwun-Yeen ?? Lennon, “A Speck Among Giants,” poetry, audio, Edmonton; Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett, “SOLAR FLARE,” light sculpture, Calgary/Kananaskis; and Raneece Buddan, “Sledding at Gallagher Park,” mixed media, Edmonton, as well as Justina Smith Vermilion, “Early winter afternoon VI,” acrylic painting and Adriana Oni?a, “Landing in Edmonton, December,” poetry, audio.
Original art inspired by Alberta’s urban, rural and mountain environments was the medium and the message, living both offline and online. Each piece took on a life of its own after the project concluded, whether that meant inspiring additional artwork, being featured in galleries, or touring the province.
A virtual exhibition featuring the work was launched on The Globe and Mail, pairing each artwork with the artist’s personal story detailing their process, inspiration and connection to Alberta. To dial up the immersion further, an original song was commissioned by Juno-nominated Indigenous musician Matthew Cardinal, intended to be played while users browsed the exhibition.
With Canadians worn down by a nonstop negative news cycle, the Art of Winter arrived to provide a break from the bleak. They took over news and social media feeds and introduced doomscrollers to a digital gallery that transported them to Alberta. Art in the place of ads.
Despite a 40% drop in travel searches for other destinations YoY during COVID-19 lockdowns, they raised Alberta-based travel searches by 8% during the campaign. Post engagement survey showed 42% of respondents would consider travelling to Alberta in the winter. Their audience spent 15,741 total hours viewing the project and the series received 90,000+ unanimously positive social engagements. The most common takeaway: “Beautiful!”.
Artist Carmen Frank went on to create a whole collection inspired by the project which has sold online for thousands of dollars and Solar Flare installation was featured throughout the province with plans to tour further. Artist Jason Carter’s piece can be seen in his Canmore gallery with prints available online.