Explore the city’s grand Civic Art Collection
Unlike the average art institution that can only dream of exhibiting 20 per cent of its collection at a given time Calgary’s Civic Art Collection has over half of its holdings of more than 800 artworks on display at any time. Many of these pieces especially sculptural outdoor works have become familiar sights to most Calgarians who work live or play in the city’s core. Some well-known works include Mario Armengol’s Brotherhood of Mankind (the skinny naked aluminum giants gathered outside the Calgary Board of Education building on Macleod Trail) and William Hodd McElcheran’s Conversation (the plump clothed and bronzed businessmen conversing in front of The Bay on Stephen Avenue).
Again contrary to most art institutions Calgary’s Civic Art Collection does not have a permanent centralized site devoted to the public display of the growing collection that not only includes sculptures but also paintings prints photographs glass ceramics textiles mixed media and installation art. Rachael Seupersad co-ordinator of the city’s Public Art Program considers this lack of a centralized facility for the collection to be a blessing: “Because we don’t have a centralized facility we have to get our work out in as many locations as we can” she says. “We have the opportunity to connect with people who may or may not choose to go to a central location to look at work. (These people) engage with the work in their day-to-day lives as opposed to having to make a conscious choice to go somewhere specific to see the works in the collection.”
With more than 60 indoor and outdoor sites serving as temporary exhibition spaces for the Civic Art Collection one doesn’t need to travel far or off the beaten track to experience fine art. For example Seupersad strongly suggests visiting Vertigo Theatre’s lobby area to view a quality selection of frequently rotated portable works such as paintings works on paper and photographs. Some other lesser-known art locations include Signal Hill Library Shawnessy Library Calgary International Airport North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre Prince’s Island Park and the city’s municipal building. As some of these locations contain areas that are restricted to the public it is important to note that the Civic Art Collection is never displayed “in any space that is not accessible to the public.”
In light of this the other 40 per cent or so of the collection that is housed in storage is also within the public’s reach. “There are a number of opportunities for citizens to engage with the collection (in storage)” says Seupersad “and if we had a request for a visit to the collection for research or educational purposes we would make the appropriate arrangements to have that happen.”
Covered by the larger umbrella that is the Public Art Collection the Civic Art Collection has developed through transfers from other collections or the public domain through purchase as well as through donation. “We are always happy and willing to entertain the possibility of donations from the public from artists and from collectors” says Seupersad. “All donations have to go past our acquisitions committee but we also have endowment funds that are dedicated to purchasing works for the Civic Art Collection.” The collection is mostly comprised of contemporary art but the older works date back to the mid-1800s. Some key Calgary-based artists represented in the collection are Maxwell Bates Colleen Philippi Marion Nicoll Illingworth Kerr Barbara Tipton and Greg Payce.
A new way to experience Calgary’s Civic Art Collection is by participating in one of the two self-guided Downtown Art Circuits that leads through the Devonian Gardens or the Plus-15 network. Seupersad asks that you prepare for your tour by downloading and printing out a copy of the informative guide and the map of the selected route on the City of Calgary’s Public Art Program’s website. The guide provides interesting facts and figures about the more permanently placed artworks of the Civic Art Collection. These tours have been so successful since their creation in 2006 that Seupersad is currently working on a third instalment that will be coming out next spring for the artworks located in Prince’s Island Park.
If you would like to contribute to the Civic Art Collection you can do so by becoming a Downtown Art Circuit tour guide volunteer by becoming a member of the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation (the trustee of the endowment fund used to purchase art for the collection) or by nominating yourself for the Public Art Program jury roster. For updates on events and developments regarding the Civic Art Collection visit the Public Art Program’s website at www.Calgary.ca.
