PUBLIC ART
Since 2021 we have been putting processes into place to manage the volume of projects that are in the works, some of which were started, or envisioned, before the program was transferred to Calgary Arts Development. A team of more than a dozen people is now in place including an interim director, manager, coordinator and many contract curators and project leads.
Throughout 2023 we continued to work closely with The City of Calgary Arts & Culture Business Unit as well as with various other business units to build relationships. We continued developing the public art section of the Calgary Arts Development website, an online application platform for public artists to apply to our Calls to Artists and programs, and published the second edition of Create Calgary, a magazine featuring articles about the arts in Calgary including the municipal public art collection.
Additionally, we launched and ran several projects and programs.
Recognizing that public art opportunities can come from grassroots ideas that are initiated and led by communities, this program invites proposals for community-run public art projects. It is open to community-run organizations who apply for funding to hire local artists and create public art in their neighbourhoods.
$300,000 was allocated for community-led grants along with project lead costs in 2023. 57 applications were received and assessed in Q4 2023, with 23 projects being identified as successful. These projects will be implemented throughout 2024 with limited staff involvement.
Calgary Arts Development has identified the neighbourhoods that currently do not have city- funded public art project nor programming activity from the operating grant program. To encourage increased programming in these communities, 20 bonus points was added to assessment scoring when considering projects taking place in these neighbourhoods.
More information about the program can be found here and the list of 2023 recipients can be found here.
Starting in the summer of 2023, Calgary Arts Development partnered with the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) for our Open Spaces program to exhibit artworks by NaAC members, foster artist development and increase the visibility of artists with disabilities in Calgary. This year-long partnership will see a rotation of different artists and exhibits in two window galleries downtown at the Centre Street LRT station. More information can be found here.
The Centre City Banner Program engages local artists to create artwork for banners displayed on light poles and bridges leading into the city core, acting as gateways to Calgary’s downtown and cultural district. Artists develop original artworks that consider the different characteristics of Calgary, and celebrate our cultures, communities, histories, geography and diversity. Artists are selected by an independent jury. Display periods last for approximately one year. More information can be found here.
Work continued on the Chinatown project, which includes three colourful panels that will be mounted on exterior walls in the community – two at Pho City (207 1 Street SE) and one at the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (138 4 Avenue SE). The artworks are created by Jarret Sitter following consultation with members of the Chinatown community and Elders from the Stoney Nakoda and Siksika Nations.
In November 2023 we announced the Art for Social Change Public Art Residency program. 78 artists and artist teams applied to participate in the residency, with 6 successful artists and collectives identified.
Participants will be granted $25,000 to explore new ways of addressing social change within the public realm. Opportunities may present themselves through new mediums, research, collaboration and community engagement. During this residency, artists will have the opportunity to engage in discussions with local and international community partners whose work addresses social change. This will help further develop their artistic practice and build community. More information can be found here.
In 2020 City Council passed a motion dedicating funding to public art in the NE based on historically low community investment in that quadrant. Calgary Arts Development has taken over management of the project to finish a pilot of working with community associations to program mini galleries. 13 galleries are currently located across the NE and in City Hall. Local curators are contracted to select artists who then place artwork in the galleries, with artwork rotating multiple times per year.
Based on the success of the pilot a request for proposals will be issued to design longer lasting mini galleries available to more community associations. Learn more here.
One of the requirements of Calgary Arts Development’s public art contract is to activate the existing public art collection. Hundreds of pieces in the permanent collection are inaccessible to the public as they are being restored or cycled through circulation. A curator identified 10 pieces that can be shown on digital billboards throughout Calgary.
Neighbourhoods that do not currently have permanent public artworks installed have been prioritized as sites for display. Locations rotate on a weekly basis. The reception by media, partners, and the public has been very positive for this project. In December, immediately after the launch, CTV national news featured the project as the good news story of the day and multiple other media outlets have featured the project. Learn more here.