The Project
Now Touring: Public Art Billboards shines a spotlight on artwork from Calgary’s Public Art Collection by making it part of people’s daily commutes.
Starting in December 2023, selected works from the City of Calgary Public Art Collection that people don’t get to see on a regular basis are being featured on billboards across the city. The majority of these works are currently in storage and not on display to the public. Many of the billboards are located in parts of the city that are not home to permanent public art installations.
The second series of artworks from the collection, titled All Together Now, launches on billboards starting September 10, 2024 and shares stories of “togetherness” through art. These 10 artworks are curated by Ginger Carlson and will be on display through to the end of February 2025. The featured artists include: Zoe Dunning, Helena Hadala, Mary Spice Kerr, Roy Kiyooka, Douglas Motter, Marion Nicoll, Katie Ohe, Dr. Jane Ash Poitras, Wendy Toogood.
The first series of artworks was chosen by Calgary Public Art lead curator Sophia Lebessis and was displayed from December 2023 to September 2024. This series focused on the theme HOME — learn more about the artists and artworks from the first series here.
The City of Calgary has an art collection of more than 1,300 works, including: outdoor sculptures, installations integrated into infrastructure, monuments, memorials, environmental art, temporary projects, street art and functional objects. Calgary’s Public Art Collection also includes an assortment of portable art — photographs, paintings, sculptures, glass, installations, ceramic and textiles — that are rotated throughout city spaces and public areas such as parks, plazas, recreational facilities, public buildings and the Plus 15 network.
Calgary’s Public Art Collection began growing in 1911 through donations and is now the oldest and most substantive public art collection in the province. Much of the historical artwork in the collection was acquired through private donations.
At any given time, approximately 80 per cent of the collection is on free public display for Calgarians to enjoy. When artworks are not being rotated through public spaces or out on loan, they are kept in a storage facility where maintenance and conservation work ensures they will continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
The public art collection has been growing alongside our city, building on the importance of art and storytelling in our collective memory. Throughout the year, the artworks on billboards will allow Calgarians to have a glimpse at our cultural heritage through artworks featured on these outdoor canvases.
Calgary Arts Development is the commissioning body for new public art projects, while the collection is stewarded by The City of Calgary. Learn more about the collection here.
Where in Calgary are the currently active billboards? Check out our interactive map.