The Centre City Banner Program Banners in the city’s core The Project The Centre City Banner Program engages local artists to create artwork for banners displayed on light poles and bridges leading into the core, acting as gateways to Calgary’s downtown and cultural district. Artists develop original artworks that consider the different characteristics of the city 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. For over a decade, the banner program has transformed Calgary’s gateway bridges into open-air galleries for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. For more background on the Centre City Banner program, see the City of Calgary’s website here. Applications for the Centre City Banner Program, 2023 – 2025, are now closed. Learn more here. Current Banners Curtis Van Charles (2022 – 2023) “One of the most exciting things about Calgary is its proximity to some incredible outdoor places. These banners take the viewer on the ultimate road trip. The day begins in a prairie landscape just outside Calgary in the early morning. The scenery changes from one banner to the next as the sun crosses the sky and the Rocky Mountains in the background draw nearer. The journey eventually ends above the tree line in the evening under the northern lights.” Previous Banners Jarett Sitter (2021 – 2022) Title: The Centre City Banner Program Project Completion: 2023 About the Artist Curtis Van Charles is known for his paintings of animals joyfully jumping above the horizon, such as his mural City Foxes. (Calgary, 2017-2019) Since graduating with a bachelor’s in design from AUArts in 2014, Curtis has worked as a full-time artist. His methods merge graphic design elements with realistic painted details, and have led to mural projects for Disney studios, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and Alberta Ballet. The foundation for Curtis’s artistic expression was born from a deep-rooted love for nature which began along the riverbanks near his childhood home in Saskatoon, SK. Curtis Van Charles is currently based in Okotoks, AB.
