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Utility Box Public Art Program

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Utility Box Public Art Program

This program uses money for regular lifecycle maintenance of City assets in a creative way: street-level artworks are created on City utility boxes by local artists.

These functional works of art have contributed to making life better in Calgary in a few ways:

  • they add vibrancy to our cityscape,
  • create a sense of place and identity for your communities and,
  • greatly reduce graffiti.

Since 2010, over 200 utility box public artworks have been created by local artists throughout Calgary, and the program now includes community partners, more artists and citizens. These public artworks are temporary canvas for artists and community members to express themselves and add colour and interest to everyday life.
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How it works

A City of Calgary project team works together to set goals and priority locations for the program every year. If you or a member of your community want a box located in an area that is not on priority list, you can fill out an application form. It's important to know that painting a box that is not currently on the priority list requires a fee for service. You are also to select the artist from the Utility Box Program roster.

Want to know more or apply for a Utility Box in your community? Contact us by email.

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Utility Box Mentorship

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Public Art Utility Box Mentorship

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Painting Our Borough

This summer, local artists created a series of artwork for utility boxes in Marlborough and area. Getting to know the community and the people who live here, they explored the theme of being at home here – discovering what home means to the residents of this neighbourhood and who the individuals are that call this place home.

This project was supported through the City of Calgary Public Art Program, in partnership with Liveable Streets. The boxes are placed along routes where Liveable Streets implemented complete streets to create a safer more liveable neighbourhood for those who call it home. Complete Streets is an approach to street design that strives to accommodate all transportation modes including walking, cycling and transit and driving.

Artist Mentor: Mary Haasdyk
Artists: Scott Clark, Debbie Lee Miszaniec, Jessica Semenoff, Lusine Manukyan, Emilija Angelovska, Ashley Oshiro, Sharon Fortowsky, Nicole Wolf, Michael Grills, Melisa Centofanti.

Indefinite Arts

Local artist Andrew Tarrant has been selected to be our lead mentor, working alongside our artists to complete a public art project that will have several utility boxes painted with beautiful, unique artwork.

The project is funded by the City of Calgary’s Public Art Program. In addition to our mentor artist, all participating artists will receive a fee for the completion of their artwork.

The public art project is one of several ways the Centre is meeting the goals of its strategic plan, This is Our Moment. This is one of several special projects that will be open to artists over the coming months.

Artist Mentor: Andrew Tarrant
Artists: Brad McCaull, Tony Goodison, Amber Harriman, Debbie O’Gorman, Matt Carberry, Brian Ehnis, Lynn Cameron, Rhonda Kottusch, Paul Yue, Tom Martens, Jarret Quinn, and Rebecca Kimber.

2018 Mentors

Mary Haasdyk

Mary Haasdyk is a Calgary-based illustrator. Growing up both in Calgary and South Africa has given her an interest in cultural diversity as well as in people. She received her BFA from Alberta College of Art + Design and is currently studying illustration there. She enjoys drawing and painting both traditionally and digitally, often building up layers of each of these to create her work. She also enjoys visiting the zoo and making lists.

Andrew Tarrant

​Ceramic artist Andrew Tarrant is known as an accomplished practitioner of sprigged decoration. His work is a contemporary view of classical pottery forms influenced by historical and mythological themes and a modern humor. Influenced by various cultures and civilizations throughout history his work presents as both unique and opulent from small, personal, utilitarian objects to larger, one of a kind vessels. Born in the United Kingdom, and moving to Canada at a young age his early memories of England promoted the evolution of his artistic career. Since graduating from the Alberta College of Art + Design in 1990 he has created work for clients worldwide, representing in numerous collections and shown in many exhibitions including the Faenza 53rd International Competition of Contemporary Ceramics.

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The City of Calgary Public Art Program, in collaboration with Alberta Printmakers and Loft 112, facilitating a six-week long workshop series focused on the development and execution of temporary public art on utility boxes in the communities of Hillhurst – Sunnyside and the Kensington District in Calgary.

Ten selected mentees took part in this six-week long opportunity under the guidance of two mentors, visual artist Marek Pospiech and writer Caitlynn Cummings. The 2017 mentees chosen through a competitive selection process are Jack Bride, Emily Cargan, Mark Eadie, Jacqueline Huskisson, My-An Nguyen, Nikki Sheppy, Jarret Sitter, Andrew Tarrant, Emily Ursulaik, and Helen Young. The artists were involved in public engagement activities throughout these communities.

2017 Mentors

Marek Pospiech

Marek Pospiech is a postgraduate graphics student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, interested primarily in graphics and drawing. In 2012 he graduated from the Institute of Art of Raciborz with a BA in Professor Kazimierz Cieslik's Painting Atelier. In 2014 he received an MA from the Academy of Fine Arts at Professor Mariusz Palka's Relief Atelier and Professor Kazimierz Cieslik's Painting Atelier. Currently he is a PhD student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland.

Caitlynn Cummings

Caitlynn Cummings has an MSc in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and writes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama. She has worked for many Canadian literary organizations, including Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs, the Calgary Distinguished Writers Program, and Filling Station magazine. Chapbooks of her short fiction include Mezzo Millimetro (LoftonEighth Press, 2016) and Chloe (100 têtes Press, 2013). Her work can also be found in CV2, New Writing Scotland, Women in Clothes, This Magazine, Alberta Views, The Calgary Project, dead (g)end(er), Cordite Poetry Review, ditch, and Glass Buffalo. She is currently at work finishing a novel about Norse artist-prostitutes in 1850s Scotland.

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Utility Box Gallery