Building Community Pride Through Public Art
Northeast Mini Galleries create connections and invite artists to share their love for their communities
You can find colourful murals, vibrant installations and unique sculptures all around the city. Thanks to the current public art policy that no longer requires public art dollars to be tied to the sites of the capital projects that funded them, more projects can be found in Calgary communities.
A clear example of this policy in action is the Northeast Public Art Initiative, which The City of Calgary began in 2020. “Now we can put art where people are,” says Heather Campbell, Calgary Arts Development’s public art manager. “With some projects, we are specifically trying to put artworks into communities that have less municipally funded public artworks.”
Left to right: Past exhibitions — Fadi Alkhouri next to his artwork, Community of Hope. Leia Guo’s mini gallery featuring
her artwork, Trials and Tribulations #1. Erin McDonald’s Coming Home.
As part of the initiative, the Northeast Mini Galleries project features artwork by 13 artists at a time, and curates three new exhibitions a year for a total of 39 artists. Whether it be painting, sculpture or beadwork, the mini galleries showcase art in a variety of mediums in small raised-box displays — hence, mini galleries — across 10 locations in the northeast and three in City Hall. The program is designed to not only increase access to art and create a deeper sense of community and engagement with public spaces within the northeast but also empower artists in the area and offer them more opportunities.
CREATING CONNECTIONS
The northeast covers a large area of Calgary and is made up of many diverse residents and groups. The curated mini galleries help connect those living and working in the quadrant. Northeast residents can visit the galleries and discover what it means to be part of the community through different artists’ perspectives. The mini galleries aim to strengthen the sense of inclusion by sharing diverse stories, histories and experiences. “There’s so much diversity in Calgary and in the northeast. It’s nice to celebrate it, encourage it and share those different stories,” affirms Tiffany Wollman, Calgary Arts Development’s public art project lead. She explains how public art benefits communities by allowing people to take a moment to pause and reflect on the art, and it may even be insightful or transformative. It sparks joy and can make space for placemaking and belonging.
And the response from residents has been very positive. Many community associations say they love having the art on display and community members ask how they can get involved as artists. “For some communities, the Northeast Mini Galleries bring hope and healing. It is very rewarding to hear of people seeing the mini galleries and wanting to share their art in them and to have parents contact us to help support their children’s dreams and share their artworks,” says Wollman. “There are so many positive aspects of public art, and the more we can spread art across the city, the more I believe we will be enriched with compassion and a sense of belonging,” she says.
COMMUNITY PRIDE
Anyone with strong ties to the northeast can apply to participate as an artist. The program offers accessibility and opportunity to share stories, artistry and culture, regardless of experience and expertise. Because of this, the program sees a diversity of artists, mediums and artistic backgrounds, and can serve as a launching pad for emerging artists.
“For many artists who have applied or been in the program, this may be their first time calling themselves an artist, or even seeing themselves as an artist. This can be great for growth and confidence in pursuing their creative interests and artistic ways of thinking and expressing themselves,” says Wollman.
Loriel Swoboda | Photo: Katrina Ali
Loriel Swoboda, a digital painter who aspires to do art full time, gained exposure for her work through the program. But more than exposure and experience, Swoboda was able to showcase her pride in the northeast. “It’s a really beautiful neighbourhood, but a lot of people don’t give it a chance,” she says. “Most people have a negative opinion of the northeast, but there’s really rich culture here, and the community is really strong. I wanted to put that on display.”
Visual artist Erin McDonald feels the same. As someone who grew up and lives in the northeast, she loves that the program celebrates and beautifies the area. “Having public art invites more people to come out and see the neighbourhoods, feel more safe and have a community feeling, rather than being scared because of what everyone’s saying in the media or how the northeast is portrayed. It makes it more beautiful and welcoming,” she says.
“It’s important to me to be able to highlight my love and interest for living in the northeast and show the beautiful sides of it and the little areas that maybe not everyone’s been to or seen. There is beauty in everyday life out here.”
Erin McDonald | Photo: Katrina Ali
To learn more, visit calgary.ca/arts-culture/public-art/northeast-projects.html.