Centre City Banner Program
Centre City Banner Program Banners in the city’s core
The Centre City Banner Program engages local artists to create artwork for banners placed on six bridges leading into the core and on the Olympic Plaza pergola, acting as gateways to Calgary’s downtown and cultural district.
A different artist is selected by a jury each year to create a new look and story welcoming visitors to the downtown. For over a decade, the banner program has transformed Calgary’s gateway bridges into open air galleries for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
Current exhibition
Jarett Sitter (2020)
When Jarett first began the process for the banner project, he was thinking a lot about Alberta wildlife and the different environments they live in. As the year 2020 went on, things got weirder, quarantines went into effect and people became more isolated. It became increasingly important to him to create something that could bring a sense of happiness to people who would see the banners.
On my summer walks, the city banners were one of the few pieces of art I’d get to see. I hope these banners bring a source of joy and a reminder of some of the things that we love, while you discover new details over multiple viewings.
Besides the friends and family we couldn’t see during the pandemic, the things Jarett missed the most were art and live music. He decided to make the animals as a sort of band. Each animal plays their respective instrument in their own “home” environments: the prairies, the mountains, a lake, etc., all creating beautiful music together, for themselves and each other.
About the artist
Jarett works as a full-time freelance illustrator/animator. He currently sits as a board member for Quickdraw Animation Society in Calgary.
His inspiration comes from skateboarding graphics, music, album covers, and Saturday morning cartoons. He plays with these nostalgic elements to create unique worlds.
His illustrations and live-action animation can be described as creepy and playful, with elements of softness and manic absurdity. He creates a world with no explanation and brings strange characters to life. These misfit characters follow their own narrative to embrace small moments of discovery and the childish curiosity of exploration.
Jarett has contributed animation and post-production work for Juno Award and Much Music Video Award nominated music videos. He also illustrated the music cover issue of Believer Magazine in 2018.
View more of Jarett’s work on his website jaretts.com.
Past exhibits
Title: Walk with Me Fallen Tree, Dandelion, Honey Suckle, Maternal, Sharing Circle and Stone.
Artist: Katie Green
Exhibition year: 2017
Project description:
Based off a community engagement event led by Blackfoot Elder Casey Eagle Speaker and Stoney/Nakoda Elder Paul
Daniels. Forty‐three community members were lead on a walk through Fish Creek Park to explore how individuals see nature integrating into their lives and the deeper meaning of the environment as it relates to people. Participants sat together in a sharing circle where they safely expressed thoughts on their own personal relationship to nature and reflections based on the elder’s teachings. The concept for each design is sourced directly from this event.
Title: The Wild and Not-So-Wild Things
Artists: David John Foy and Jennifer Saleik
Exhibition year: 2010
Project description:
Portraits of the spaces where people and the wild overlap. Our paintings tell the stories of the inner landscapes that we build and carry around inside us. Our work is complete with realities and hearsay, it is a reflection of the places we claim as Nature, full of our own fears and expectations of what that Wilderness actually is and how we might factor into it.
Title: All together now;
Artist: Christine Cheung
Exhibition year: 2010 – on Centre Street Bridge to celebrate 100th anniversary of Chinatown
Project description:
Since 1858, Calgary’s Chinatown has a specific history, having been moved three times to various locations. This series celebrates the struggle of citizenship for the individuals who occupied this space and made it what it is today.
Title: Ichit‘oh (Rose) and Kini (Rose)
Artist: Bruno Canadien
Exhibition year: NA
Project description:
Echo blanket patterns, using First Nations’ floral and geometric imagery to represent the land, mountains and sky; the beauty of our lush Alberta summers; the five Treaty 7 nations; and all the Peoples of the prairie, bushland, and mountains.
Title: Unfolding growth
Artist: Tara Griffiths
Exhibition year: 2010
Project description:
The Itajime dying technique is used to create patterns that reflect the surrounding architectural structures and sculpture to show how repeating simple building blocks can create complexity and maturity both in a community and in a design
Title: Untitled
Artist: Dianne Bos
Exhibition year: NA
Project description:
Overlapping sequential images of the Alberta landscape inspired by Technopaegnia (concrete poetry) and Asian sumi-e brush painting.
Title: Knitted wire, Funny faces in disguise, Shift and fade, City under construction, Progressions of the seasons, Nests, Patchwork history, and What’s old is new again
Artist: Stefanie Wong and Marci Simkulet
Exhibition year: 2010
Project description:
A variety of knitted, woven and sewn pieces creating an open, yet layered structure. The light easily passes through to reflect off the banners, creating texture and a sense of our city skyline.
Title: Untitled
Artist: Marjan Eggermont
Exhibition year: 2008
Project description:
The patterns show natural forms you might find at the edge of the Bow: leaves, butterflies, bugs and spiders. The patterns also include city or city culture elements: running shoes, coffee machines, tourist taking pictures and helicopters (traffic, police, or Stars).
Title: The Birds
Artist: Lisa Brawn
Exhibition year: 2009
Project description:
Figurative, woodcuts of birds found in the Calgary area.
Title: Deer lady, iinisskim, Tricksters, Era of the horse, Calgary, Old man
Artist: Wil Yee
Exhibition year: 2013
Project description:
Each of the banners are a visual interpretation and expression of local First Nations' myths and their relationship to Calgary and area. The combination of colors and imagery represent the transformation of elements and seasons through the cycle of life, death and rebirth.
Title: Untitled
Artist: Mary Haasdyk and My-An Nguyen
Exhibition year: 2018
Project description:
These banners celebrate Calgary’s vibrant culture and community. Each image is inspired by a traditional method of communication that is part of our country’s history featuring a messenger.
Title: Opened Community
Artist: Daniel J Kirk
Exhibition year: 2015
Project description:
These banners present a glimpse of community formation through creativity and an individual sense of interconnectedness. Scenes of whimsical moments combining animals, insects, humans, and plants promote playful and inclusive communities. Wood, metal, earth, water and wind combine with architectural elements to reference balance and a need for mindful creation.