The Public Art 101 sessions are an important means through which The City of Calgary Public Art Program provides ongoing support and professional development opportunities to artists who are transitioning their practice from studio work to the realm of public art.
Topics are chosen based on expressed artist need and are presented throughout the year. All sessions are free but registration is limited. Information on specific sessions will be posted here as it becomes available.
Public artists often work as part of a team, collaborating with experts and professionals in project management, engineering and large scale fabrication. Join us for this unique opportunity to get an inside view of one of Canada’s premiere public art fabricators. We'll get to check out its facility and see, first-hand, how big ideas become reality. We'll also learn about three-dimensional design for manufacturing, meet the faces behind Heavy Industries’ portfolio of art and architectural works, and learn what partnering with a fabricator can mean for your art practice. A presentation by Heavy Industries will be followed by a tour of its production facility (and the chance to try some tasty samplings from Top Chef Canada competitor Nicole Gomes!).
When: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Heavy Industries, 9192 52nd Street SE
Who: This event is limited to individuals aged 16 or older, and participants will be required to climb a number of stairs during the tour.
To register: Registration is required as space is limited to 45 participants. Contact Lisa Hickey-Besserer, Public Art Program Coordinator at lisa.hickey-besserer@calgary.ca or 403-476-4319.
April 2013 - Community-Based Public Art
We explored community-based public art and learned about the practice, engagement processes, opportunities for funding and differing experiences. We heard from individual artists and organizations that are currently working on community-based art within Calgary.
Presenters included:
Richard Campbell, Executive Artistic Director, Antyx Community Arts -
antyx.org
February 2013 - Artist-In-Residence Programs
In this session, we explored and discussed artist-in-residence programs and opportunities both in Calgary and worldwide. Presenting artists shared their experiences of working in local and international residence programs, and present information on what’s involved in the application and funding process.
Presenting artists included:
November 2012
Site and Context in Public Art
Guest Speaker: Gord Ferguson
Gord Ferguson is currently on faculty in the Sculpture Department at the Alberta College of Art & Design (ACAD) here in Calgary. Gord graduated from the University of Montana, Missoula with a Master of Fine Arts, Sculpture, in 1981. He has a lengthy list of exhibitions across Canada, has completed a number of public artworks (including Strung II on the overpass at Crowchild Tr. and Sarcee Tr.) and was the recipient of two Canada Council Grants to support his studio research. Gord’s work is also represented in many museum and private collections across Canada.
March 2012
Getting Started in Public Art - A Community Brainstorming Session
Guest Speaker: Shelley Ouellet
In this session we discussed how artists can create their own opportunities and move their practice from the studio into the public realm, even without being awarded a commission. Attendees were asked to come prepared with some public art project ideas that they were willing to workshop and share. The group then brainstormed how to move these ideas forward into the public realm, whether working independently or with a team of collaborators.
The discussion and brainstorming was be led by Shelley Ouellet. Shelley is a local artist who is currently working across a variety of media and focusing on community-based projects. After studying at the University of Calgary, she has, among other things, been Director of the Stride Gallery, worked as an art consultant and as a web designer and is currently an instructor at the Alberta College of Art and Design. She ran the Carpet 'N Toast Gallery out of her home where she presented exhibitions of work by local and regional artists. Shelley has been an artist-in-residence at The Banff Centre for the Arts, as well as Est Nord Est, The Dunlop Art Gallery and EM/Media. Her work has been exhibited across Canada and the United Kingdom and her practice aspires to recognize the importance of collective activity in advocacy, community development and the arts and the relationship between citizens and their physical and social environments.
February 2012
How to Build a Budget for a Public Art Project
Guest Speaker: Tony Bloom
On, Tuesday, February 21, 2012, guest speaker Tony Bloom discussed the details of developing budgets for large scale public art projects, and how to handle the delays and changes that inevitably come up as the project follows its course to completion. Tony spoke about how to "treat yourself as a professional", including how to diarize all aspects of the project, and introduced project management programs, damage quantification, hard-edge accounting, when to be flexible and other details learned from his experience in the field.
Tony works in steel, copper, bronze, and aluminum, producing intimate, hand-held objects to monumental pieces in the public realm. For over four decades he has supported himself solely from his studio practice, creating sculpture for municipalities, corporations, private residences, and for exhibition. His work has been exhibited in North America, Europe and Japan, and he has been the recipient of national, provincial and civic awards. He is founder of Stonecrop Studios in Canmore, Alberta.
You can download Tony's presentation
here.
Winter 2011
How to Apply for a Public Art Competition
On December 6, 2011, Diana Sherlock with members of the Public Art team used the example of an actual 'Request for Proposals' for a City of Calgary project to review the basics of preparing a professional application (cover letter, portfolio and CV) and provide clarity around the Public Art Program's artist selection process.
The session included the following presentations:
Fall 2011
The Entrepreneur Artist: The Business of Being a Professional Artist
On Tuesday, Sept. 27, Jeff de Boer kicked off the fall season of the Public Art 101 professional development series. He spoke on his journey of becoming a professional artist, and shared his stories of how to build a business and a reputation, all while addressing the passion and pitfalls of a challenging and yet infinitely rewarding industry.
Thanks to Jeff and all who attended this session.
February to June 2011
The following are the presentations made available through the first series of Public Art 101 sessions that ran from February to June 2011.
- The nuts and bolts of creating public art for their communities
Calgary Context - Presentation
- Making the Transition from Studio to Public Artist
Calgary Context - Studio to Public Art - Presentation
- Getting Started
Developing a Concept - Presentation
- Developing the design: Working with materials and Budgets
Developing the Design - Presentation
- Contracts and Copyrights
Contracts and Copyrights - Presentation
