By Meg Tilley — RogersPlace.com
You wouldn’t initially consider it, but in many ways, art is a lot like hockey.
“[In this business] you’re trying to create a cycle to create chances and scoring opportunities, if you will,” explained Damon Fraietta of LifeLightLens Photography.
The Edmonton-based photographer is excited about his most recent accomplishment — and rightfully so. Eight of his pieces are now being featured in Rogers Place’s Sky Lounge.
“It means so much to me that I can share this with people,” said Fraietta. “It’s such a high-visibility and high-traffic location to display in.”
The trendy two-level premium club is located above the Sportsnet Club at the end of the ice surface, where Oilers event-goers can enjoy a full-service bar, in-seat beverage service and all-inclusive food through a variety of culinary choices.
Following Thursday, Friday and Saturday night games, the Oilers fan experience can be extended as the curtain is drawn and the music is turned up to transform Sky Lounge into one of the city’s most unique nightspots.
“The pieces that were selected here for Sky Lounge are either from Edmonton or the surrounding area of Jasper and the mountains,” said Fraietta. “Just places where we thought that the beauty of the city and the province would be featured.”
From an image of a road that feels as though it pulls the viewer into the mountains and under a sky full of stars, to the Alberta Legislature building with the aurora borealis dancing across the top of it, the wide array of pieces Fraietta has taken truly illustrates the beauty of the city and province.
“When Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) approached me about this project they really wanted pieces that represented Edmonton and Alberta that were unique and they think that people would really enjoy,” said Fraietta.
“[There] was a real drive for OEG and Rogers Place featuring local art and making it about Edmonton because they’re a part of the community…it’s really going to drive the art scene forward. They already have a great one, but it’s another avenue to feature artists and have people able to view the art that maybe they might not see in different situations.”
It’s a big accomplishment for the 31-year-old, whose journey into the photography industry has come about in a rather unorthodox way.
“You find some careers, but truly, this one found me,” he said.
“I was lost for a kind of time in my life, I was raised believing I would be a pro athlete. My father (Emilio Fraietta) was one — he played for the Eskimos — and when you live your life kind of defined and dedicated to one thing and then it’s taken away, it’s really tough and disorienting.”