The Pulse: Feb. 17, 2023

After a three-year hiatus, Bleeding Heart Art Space has once again opened its walls to original work by local artists of all kinds, this time in its new home in Highlands.

Open Walls, a celebration of "the beautiful chaos of diverse community," has been an annual event for Bleeding Heart. But the fifth iteration had to close prematurely in 2020 due to the pandemic. Now the show is back in the admission-free gallery's new space in St. Mary's Anglican Church at 11203 68 St NW.

Most of Bleeding Heart's shows are juried, but Open Walls is different.

"It's meant to be an option for anybody and everyone who is brave and creative," said Heather Ritz, who has been involved in Bleeding Heart for more than a decade. "Basically, if it fits through the door, you're welcome to hang it or to show it."

The show, which runs until March 18, accepts one submission per artist until it runs out of room.

"We keep on adding to the pieces," Ritz told Taproot. "It becomes this wonderful collection that keeps on growing and growing and growing."

Thanks to a grant from the Edmonton Arts Council, Bleeding Heart has also opened its space to musicians and poets through its Warm Hearts concert series. It kicked off on Feb. 11 with singer-songwriter Emmet Michael and poet Naomi McIlwraith, and it continues every other Saturday until March 25.

"It's a really lovely way for us to celebrate the opening of an art gallery that we're really proud of," Ritz said.

• Edmonton's Food Bank has reduced the maximum number of boxes per household each month from four to three. "The current demand for our services is continuously outstripping our food donations," the charity said in a notice explaining the decision. "It also takes its toll on our staff, volunteers, and partner agencies." Late last year, the province announced it would put $20 million toward food banks over two years, but the $280,000 allotted to Edmonton's Food Bank this year is only enough to fill the shelves with groceries for one month, according to executive director Marjorie Bencz. Around 35,000 Edmontonians were accessing the food bank's hamper program each month by the end of 2022.
• Alberta Health Services has declared an end to the Edmonton Shigella outbreak, which officially began on Sept. 8 and primarily affected vulnerable Edmontonians in the inner-city. AHS said in a release that no new cases have been reported in the last two weeks. During the course of the outbreak, 206 people had confirmed Shigella diagnoses, of which 139 required hospitalization. No deaths connected to the outbreak were reported. It was the largest Shigella outbreak ever seen in the city.
• Insurance company Lloyd Sadd will relocate its head office and about 220 employees from 124 Street to 101 Street, which the company said was an effort to boost vibrancy and safety in downtown Edmonton. The move is scheduled for 2024. Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association said the influx of workers will be a welcome addition as the "movement of people in our downtown is one of the biggest things we are missing."
• The Edmonton Police Service told the Edmonton Police Commission it is going to rezone the downtown division to create three new beats, which police say is to clear up confusion introduced when the Healthy Streets Operation Centre launched in 2022 to bring more police and social service resources into the area. The new beats of Cromdale/Boyle Street, Oliver, and Jasper West were chosen based on data and crime trends, according to police. The new zones will be implemented Feb. 19.
• Vocal police critic Duncan Kinney, executive director of Progress Alberta and editor of Progress Report, has filed a complaint against the Edmonton Police Service in which he alleges he was assaulted and intimidated by officers at a Feb. 1 news conference at police headquarters downtown announcing the deployment of 12 Alberta sheriffs to Edmonton. He recounted the event in an article published in Progress Report on Feb. 4. Kinney is also awaiting a March 9 court date related to charges of mischief brought against him by the police in October 2022.
• TransEd ran an emergency test simulation on the Valley Line Southeast tracks on the afternoon of Feb. 16. The scenario simulated a collision between a train and a cyclist at 51 Avenue and 75 Street. CEO Ronald Joncas said the exercise brings the company "one step closer" to opening the line, which is two years late and still does not have a launch date.
• The Stanley A. Milner Library hosted a "human library" on Feb. 15, which was organized by students of W. P. Wagner School as part of a series of anti-racism events. The event encouraged small groups to talk through issues and challenge stereotypes with dialogue. More than 150 junior high students attended, along with several councillors, MLAs, and community leaders.
• Kelpie, a 28-year-old California sea lion that lived in the marine area in West Edmonton Mall since 2004, has been euthanized. In a release, the mall said Kelpie "far outlived her natural expectancy" and was considered "very geriatric for her species."
• Edmonton is the third-sexiest city in Canada, according to PinkCherry, a retailer of sexual health and wellness products, which based its latest ranking on consumer purchases and behaviours from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022. Calgary was ranked No. 1 for the third year in a row.
• Olivia and Noah were the most popular baby names in Alberta in 2022. Olivia has been the most popular name since 2013, while Noah is now on a four-year streak.

This Family Day long weekend offers a family-friendly introduction to brass, a multimedia showcase of African, Black, and Caribbean stories, a poetic celebration of Black Muslim art, an alternative market, and a tour of a historic residence.

• Feb. 18, 2pm: Brass for Kids with the Mill Creek Colliery Band
• Feb. 18, 5:30pm: Melanin Narratives VII: Storytelling — Past, Present, Future, presented by YEGTheComeUp
• Feb. 18, 6pm: The Universe is a Poem: Featuring Amir Sulaiman at McDougall Church
• Feb. 18, 8pm: Cabinet of Curiosities Night Market at the Alberta Aviation Museum
• Feb. 20, 12pm: Family Day Open House at Rutherford House

Find even more things to do in the Arts Roundup.

Taproot is seeking input on whether to build an event calendar. Tell us what you think.

Photo: A 28-piece brass band will play an afternoon concert for children at the Dutch Canadian Club on Saturday. (Mill Creek Brass/Facebook)