The Utility Box Program started in 2010 as a pilot project initiated by The City of Calgary Roads. Initially conceived as a highly successful graffiti abatement measure, widespread popularity enabled the program to grow and become permanent in 2011. The program has since expanded to include community partners and engage more artists and citizens. Since 2010, over 200 utility box public artworks have been created by local artists throughout Calgary.
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Photo Gallery - Unclassified
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The program is designed to use the funding for regular lifecycle maintenance of City assets in a creative way. Working with student artists, professional artists and community groups, the program allows for these street-level artworks to add vibrancy to our cityscape, while creating a sense of place and identity for communities. These public artworks are not intended to be permanent but a temporary canvas through which artists and community members can express themselves and their identity.
A project team, made up of representatives from five different City departments, works together to set the goals and priority locations for the program annually. Additionally, when specific community members would like to have a box that is not part of the priority list painted, they can fill out an application form to have the box painted. Painting a box that is not currently on the priority list requires a fee for service, and the requestor is able to select the artist from the Utility Box Program roster.
Utility Box Mentorship Program - 2018
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
1590 Utility Box Public Art Program 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. 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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Utility Box Mentorship Program - 2017
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
424 Utility Box Public Art Program 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 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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More information
Contact Public Art at publicart@calgary.ca for more information on the Utility Box Program.