Latest news with #CalgaryArtsDepartment
Toronto Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
A tour of Calgary's lively public art collection
The displays throughout the city tell the story of Calgary as well as share local Indigenous traditions, beliefs and practices through art A man walks by the Our Window mural by AJA Louden at the Downtown Calgary Mosque on Tuesday. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The City of Calgary's public art collection, created in partnership with the Calgary Arts Department, began growing in 1911 and has amassed over 1300 pieces since its inception. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The displays throughout the city tell the story of Calgary as well as share local Indigenous traditions, beliefs and practices through art. The city is working with Indigenous artists to increase representation and improve opportunities, as less than three per cent of the collection was created by Indigenous artists. While the majority of the art is located downtown, pieces can be found across the city from as far north as Country Hills, to Seton in the southeast, located both indoors and outdoors. For locals or tourists wanting to take in the history of Calgary in a unique way, and at their own pace, grab a coffee from a local shop and take an art tour of the city. The artwork of Family of Horses by Harry O'Hanlon outside the Municipal Building. Nga Kam Yiu/ Postmedia In northeast Calgary, located inside the Vivo recreation centre, Celebrations by Barbra Amos is on display. The 20-piece display is a collection of brightly coloured realistic and abstract paintings and celebrates the excitement and activities found within the recreation centre. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While in the northeast, head to 96th Avenue N.E. near the Airport Trail and Deerfoot Trail interchange and take in Travelling Light, recognized city-wide as the 'Giant Blue Ring.' The design of this piece was intended to 'capture the dynamics of Calgary on the move and create a lasting impression for all who experience it,' according to the city. 'This site is a complex intersection catering to a wide variety of users, all converging with different perspectives and rates of motion. In order to provide visual interest to all viewers, as well as create a distinct identity for the bridge, the artists designed a simple, clear, monumental sculptural form that is set apart from the bridge and landscape by its colour.' Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Travelling Light on 96th Avenue N.E. Al Charest/Postmedia Then take Deerfoot Trail south towards downtown, where the majority of the city's public art pieces are on display. Once downtown, head to Calgary-born coffee shop Rosso Coffee Roasters, located inside the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre at 140 8th Ave. S.E. to fuel the remainder of the art tour. Within walking distance from Rosso is the city's Central Library, home to art display Fish by Christian Moeller on the third floor. Inspired by the concept of goldfish in a fishbowl, this piece holds a total of 10,260 books in 12 different colours. From close up, the spines of the books read as an abstract composition of coloured shapes, but from a distance, they appear as a detailed image of a carefully framed portrait of a goldfish. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The artwork of Fish by Christian Moeller spans a wall inside the Central Library. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia Continuing the art tour, head west to find several outdoor pieces on display. On the steps of the Calgary Municipal Building is Harry O'Hanlon's Family of Horses, and nearby at Park East of the Municipal Building is Natural Engineer by by Cochrane-based sculptor Don Begg — a naturalistic bronze beaver representative of the wildlife around the nearby Bow and Elbow rivers. The artwork of Family of Horses by Harry O'Hanlon. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia Also at the Municipal Building is Balancing Act by Roy Leadbeater. This piece uses bright colours and welding to transform construction materials into a sculpture. The city describes this piece as a 'gravity-defying balancing act.' Balancing Act by Roy Leadbeater stands outside the Municipal Building. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia Continuing west to the Stephen Avenue Mall at 1st Street S.W., Conversation by William Hodd McElcheran is on display. Part of The Businessman Series, this piece features two businessmen, intently focused on each other, deep in conversation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For those taking public transit, visit the 6th Street S.W. LRT station, look up and enjoy the brightly coloured SWARM by Stuart Keeler. Also installed at LRT stations is the 20-piece Luminous Crossings by Cliff Garten. The interactive display features two large-scale vertical sculptures, plus three hanging works, on four stations located at either end of the 7th Avenue LRT platform. The illuminated sculptures are integrated with the LRT system to change colours when the train arrives, docks and leaves the station. Luminous Crossings by Cliff Garten at the downtown West-Kerby station. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia Nearby, Century Gardens is home to two displays — The Alberta Family by Stanley Bleifeld and Bears by Leo Mol. The Alberta Family depicts a life-size bronze family playing outside, meant to exude joy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Alberta Family, by Stanley Bleifeld, in Century Gardens. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia Bears, also a bronze sculpture, shows two playful bears on a rock. Born in Polonne, Ukraine, Leo Mol, the artist behind Bears, is best known for his sculptures of both people and animals, and many of his bronze works can be seen in the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg. Bears, by Leo Mol, in Century Gardens. Nga Kam Yiu/Postmedia To finish off the downtown tour, stop at the Downtown Calgary Mosque and take a look at the east wall to find Our Window by AJA Louden and the 2018 participants of City of Calgary's Street Art Program for Youth. 'The mural combines patterns designed by youth, community members, and lead artist AJA Louden. The concept was inspired by the seeds that are planted when we exchange ideas and inspiration openly,' according to the city. This mural can be activated through augmented reality by downloading an app accessible by a QR code on the mural. It features digital animations by Jarett Sitter and stop-motion animations by The Bum Family. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Our Window mural by AJA Louden on a rainy day at the Downtown Calgary Mosque. Nga Kam Yiu/ Postmedia Before heading south, stop for dinner at Bridgette Bar (739 10th Ave S.W.), a local chef-driven bar. For Japanese-influenced cuisine, try Shokunin, located south of the downtown core in Mission at 2016 4th St S.W. The restaurant proudly uses some of Canada's best produce, with some coming from the chef's personal garden and farm. Other highly rated restaurants to try in Calgary include Ten Foot Henry (1209 1st St S.W.), Bonterra Trattoria (1016 8th St. S.W.) and Lulu Bar (510 17th Ave. S.W.). Bonterra Trattoria in Calgary. DARREN MAKOWICHUK/Postmedia Continuing south, Elbow Island Park features several public art displays. At the gateway to the park is Fish Ladder by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett. As described by the artists on the City of Calgary website, 'the stairs reference fish skeletons, the ribs of a canoe, and ripples in water. As you move down the stairs onto Elbow Island Park, materials transition from steel to wood, indicating a change from urban to natural. Drooping stairs create a moiré pattern, rippling underfoot. You become the stone skipping across water. Over time, foliage will grow up through the stairs, integrating them into the park.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the park, Late Lunch by long-time friends Jeremy Pavka and Sean Procyk is an interactive display, offering visitors the chance to enjoy the view of the river in colourful seats in the shape of large wheelbarrows. Also in Elbow Island Park is Things that both a relative you haven't seen in a long time and the river could say, by Kablusiak. This display is made up of large stones that provide a pathway across a stream, five of which are engraved with phrases in Inuvialuktun and English that are personal to the artist. Further south at New Brighton Athletic Park is Versus by The White Studio. Meant to represent the nature of competition, the large VS. statue, an abbreviation of the word versus, 'speaks to the idea of opposing a competitor or of challenging oneself within a team setting. It is also applicable to larger conversations pertaining to global, social and economic issues,' according to the city. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The massive 'VS' sculpture greets visitors to the New Brighton Athletic Park. Brent Calver/Postmedia Finally, head down to Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton, where The Nest by Donald Lipski is on display. The piece is made of clear acrylic 'twigs' and is suspended from the ceiling. Each hallway features a different flock of life-sized birds flying towards the nest. There is a total of 30 birds from three different species chosen by community members — the Swainson's Hawk, Great Blue Heron and Great Horned Owl. The Nest hangs over the hub of the Brookfield YMCA in Seton. Brent Calver/Postmedia Finishing the tour in Seton, visit locally owned and community-driven restaurant Starbelly Open Kitchen and Lounge to enjoy a rotating seasonal menu using local ingredients. Visit the City of Calgary website for a map of all public art across the city. In our new instalment of How Canada Wins, we'll publish stories every second Wednesday throughout the summer highlighting some of the people and places that make Calgary special. Canada Olympics Sunshine Girls Columnists Celebrity
Calgary Herald
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Something for everyone: A tour of Calgary's lively public art collection
The City of Calgary's public art collection, created in partnership with the Calgary Arts Department, began growing in 1911 and has amassed over 1300 pieces since its inception. Article content The displays throughout the city tell the story of Calgary as well as share local Indigenous traditions, beliefs and practices through art. The city is working with Indigenous artists to increase representation and improve opportunities, as less than three per cent of the collection was created by Indigenous artists. Article content Article content Article content While the majority of the art is located downtown, pieces can be found across the city from as far north as Country Hills, to Seton in the southeast, located both indoors and outdoors. Article content In northeast Calgary, located inside the Vivo recreation centre, Celebrations by Barbra Amos is on display. The 20-piece display is a collection of brightly coloured realistic and abstract paintings and celebrates the excitement and activities found within the recreation centre. Article content While in the northeast, head to 96th Avenue N.E. near the Airport Trail and Deerfoot Trail interchange and take in Travelling Light, recognized city-wide as the 'Giant Blue Ring.' The design of this piece was intended to 'capture the dynamics of Calgary on the move and create a lasting impression for all who experience it,' according to the city. Article content Article content 'This site is a complex intersection catering to a wide variety of users, all converging with different perspectives and rates of motion. In order to provide visual interest to all viewers, as well as create a distinct identity for the bridge, the artists designed a simple, clear, monumental sculptural form that is set apart from the bridge and landscape by its colour.' Article content Then take Deerfoot Trail south towards downtown, where the majority of the city's public art pieces are on display. Article content Once downtown, head to Calgary-born coffee shop Rosso Coffee Roasters, located inside the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre at 140 8th Ave. S.E. to fuel the remainder of the art tour. Within walking distance from Rosso is the city's Central Library, home to art display Fish by Christian Moeller on the third floor. Article content Inspired by the concept of goldfish in a fishbowl, this piece holds a total of 10,260 books in 12 different colours. From close up, the spines of the books read as an abstract composition of coloured shapes, but from a distance, they appear as a detailed image of a carefully framed portrait of a goldfish.
