The Arts District, in the heart of downtown, occupies six square blocks and is one of the city’s showcases. Within its limits are the Stanley A. Milner Library, the Edmonton Art Gallery, Sir Winston Churchill Square, City Hall, the Law Courts Building, the Shaw Conference Centre, and the performing-arts community’s pride and joy, the magnificent Citadel Theatre and adjacent Winspear Centre.

Opened in early 2010, the futuristic Edmonton Art Gallery of Alberta (northeast of Sir Winston Churchill Square on 99th St., 780/427-6223, Mon.–Wed. and Fri. 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Thurs. 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sat.–Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., adult $10, senior $7, child $5) is an impressive 7,900-square-meter (85,000-square-foot) facility fronted by giant swirling steel curves representing the northern lights.

The gallery houses an extensive collection of 4,000 modern Canadian paintings, as well as historical and contemporary art in all forms of media. Various traveling exhibitions are presented throughout the year. The exhibit From Sea to Sea: The Development of Canadian Art, catalogs the entire history of the country’s art through well-designed displays. The gallery also offers a theater, gift shop, and café.