Artist's postcards bring miniature Edmonton to the world

Cory Johnn spent hours making miniatures of famous Edmonton landmarks. They are exquisite, but the number of people they can reach is, well, small.

Take a picture, he thought. It'll go farther.

And so he has, adapting miniatures of the Muttart Conservatory, the Walterdale Bridge with the Rossdale Power Plant, and the Talus Dome into postcards as a practical way to reach a wider audience.

"I think these are just some really famous landmarks that everybody sees day to day, and it's almost like some people see them subconsciously," Johnn told Taproot, adding that he'd like to remind people not to take them for granted.

"I know the Talus Dome is kind of a funny shape when you drive by it — it's almost like a meme in the city," he said. "People make fun of it at times, but it's also very beautiful."

Johnn, who is also a professional filmmaker and photographer, made the postcards as part of the inaugural season of the Good Neighbour Arts Network, which officially wrapped in May. The project brought together east-side artists to be "stewards" of Little Free Library-type structures stocked with art. Postcards of miniatures were popular, Johnn said.

"I printed 100 of each, and I've almost burned through all of them; I kept having to restock them," Johnn said of his Good Neighbour gallery at the Ottewell Community Hall.

Now Johnn is mailing postcards to anyone who drops him a line.

"No catch, I just think it'd be fun to see these little pieces of Edmonton end up in mailboxes around the world," he posted. "After all, Edmonton deserves to be celebrated, even if it's only a few inches tall."

He'd also like to sell them at local retailers, fittingly citing the Muttart's gift shop as one avenue.

Johnn has a track record for showcasing Edmonton beyond its borders. He's made music videos, such as All These Thoughts for the band Scenic Route to Alaska. Plus, he's done client work for tourism agency Explore Edmonton, including Say More, which shares the stories of 2SLGBTQIA+ community leaders, storytellers, and business owners.

He likes to promote Edmonton because he thinks the city gets a bad rap, citing the dining landscape as an example.

"The culinary scene and the cocktail scene are very, very big in Edmonton, but it's not recognized very well because we don't show it off," he said. "People that hear about Edmonton, if we do brag about it, they kind of just brush it off. We're kind of known as the city that nobody wants to move to, and the city that people want to move out of."

To better showcase that positive aspect of Edmonton, he's working on a documentary about restaurateur Ben Staley, most recently of the nationally recognized cocktail bar Next of Kin.

Johnn also has an epic miniature project tied to the city's Alberta Avenue neighbourhood that he has worked on since 2020.

District 118 is an entire city block on a three-by-two-foot base. It features one level of shops and restaurants and three floors of apartments, each with its own concept. It's wired to play full-length films on tiny TVs in the apartments, and Johnn built everything from soft drinks to packs of cigarettes to stock the corner store.