Artist Civil Service

Co-Curated by Zachary Ayotte

May 1–June 27, 2026

Callum Beckford, Nicholas Hertz, Ken Khoo, Amy Leigh

May 1–June 27, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday May 1 at 7pm

Artist Civil Service is an experimental program that supported four Edmonton-based visual artists working part-time in civil service roles and part-time on their artistic practices over a four-month period. Organized by Latitude 53 and artist Zachary Ayotte, this initiative explores alternative funding models for artists while simultaneously investing in the civic infrastructure that sustains communities.

As a part of the program, artists were embedded in volunteer and self-directed community service projects—including health care, infrastructure, and senior care—to develop their creative work and their connections to the city's civic life. The project culminates with a public presentation sharing the participating artists’ work, reflections, and insights into how this model impacted the artists’ practices and how it might evolve and scale within Edmonton and beyond.

Latitude 53 invites members and guests to the opening reception, Friday May 1 at 7 pm.