Thinking about Calgary, a public art scene would not be necessarily the first thing that comes to your mind, especially not in Downtown Calgary with all its huge skyscrapers and financial offices. A variety of sculptures, gigantic graffiti, outdoor paintings, and sunny parks with public art are scattered all around the heart of the Canadian city in the province of Alberta. Additional to the outdoor art installations, a multiplicity of public art in most of the foyers and backyards of the modern buildings showcase art pieces from all over the world.

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Silver Dragon Restaurant

106 3 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0B6, Canada

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Fifth Avenue Place

420 2 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3K4, Canada

“Outlaw” Rodeo Sculpture & Financial Reflections

We know, architecture and skyscrapers are not everybody’s cup of tea, but especially in Downtown Calgary, there’s no getting around it. Some remarkable moments of light and city reflections in Calgary’s skyline are part of the walking tour. The same applies to the Rodeo and the annual Calgary Stampede, a gigantic rodeo festival taking place every July in Calgary, Alberta. But not only the rodeo riders are famous in Canada. Even the bulls are getting famous cross-border in the province of Alberta, for example, the bull “Outlaw”. His powerful moves and the circumstance, that he has been ridden only twice for the full eight seconds in 71 trips earned him the reputation of “rankest bulls in the world of rodeo”. In honor of his accomplishments, an 11-foot-tall bronze statue of Outlaw was installed in 2010 created by the artist Richard Loffler and Regina Saskatchewan.

Sculpture of “Outlaw”

5 Ave SW & 2 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0L1, Canada

Downtown Calgary on the corner of 5th Ave. and 2nd St. SW. One of the most famous animals to ever perform at the Calgary Stampede Rodeo.

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TransCanada Tower

450 1 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3L8, Canada

“Weaving Fence & Horn” at TransCanada Tower

A lot of the public art pieces and sculptures in Calgary have a strong connection to the culture of Alberta, especially the natural heritage and wildlife of the Rocky Mountains and prairie country. So does the sculpture “Weaving Fence & Horn” by John McEwan. Revealed in 2002, the public art in front of the TransCanada Tower stands for an homage to the Rocky Mountain sheep, or at least for one of their horns.

A feat of elegant engineering and precise craftsmanship, the sculpture conjures the magnificence of the bighorn sheep, Alberta’s official mammal.

Ah, and don’t forget to look north towards the Bow River, you might want to catch a look at or pay a visit to the Chinese Cultural Center with its replica of the Temple of the Sun in Beijing, China.

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Wonderland Sculpture

110 6 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0G2, Canada

Wonderland Sculpture is a 12-meter tall public art piece, which is made by the Spanish sculptor, Jaume Plensa. Wonderland is a wire mesh sculpture of a little girl’s head, which is located at the base of the tallest tower in Calgary, The Bow. The major attraction of Wonderland is that the visitors can walk through the model, which has two openings allowing the viewers to enter. It is said that the shape of the sculpture was actually inspired by a girl in Spain, and the objective of the sculpture is to inspire everyone who sees it as a true representation of the architecture of our own bodies, the palace of our dreams.

The sculpture truly represents the dreams and hopes of the young people and airs fresh youthful energy of the tenants. The entrance to the sculpture is at the neck region, through which the viewers can wander inside and see how it looks from inside.

The Family of Man

515-577 1 St SE, Calgary, AB T2G 2L9, Canada

Created for the British Pavilion at the Montreal Expo in 1967, the ten 6.5 meters tall aluminum figures by the Spanish artist Mario Armengol became a landmark in Downtown Calgary since they have been installed in 1968. The circle of naked humans with the name “The Family of Man”  is located near the old Calgary Board of Education building at the corner of 1st Street and 6th Avenue S.E. The sculptures have been a highlight on our tour standing in the middle of the Canadian city peacefully together and creating an intimate but trustworthy atmosphere.

Just around the corner and in strong contrast to the modern architecture of the past centuries, we discovered a small and flat building. Located directly at 6th Avenue, the St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church looks like a building, not from this century and cute at the same time.

Giving Wings to the Dream Art Mural

Calgary, AB T2G 4Z1, Canada

“Giving Wings To The Dream” is a 250′ by 120′ mural on the east side of the old CUPS building on 7th Ave across from the convention centre. It was created Doug Driediger. MuralsIn 1995, he did the “Giving Wings To The Dream” on the side of the former CUPS (Calgary Urban Projects Society) building on 7th Ave SW across from the Convention Centre LRT Station that still stands today (and has never been refreshed). It depicts a large human hand reaching up (a hand-up, not a hand-out) to a white dove that is flying off into the sky. What a better metaphor for a CUPS, a non profit society that reaches out to Calgarians whose lives are in turmoil to help them turn their lives around.

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Olympic Plaza

228 8 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2P 2M5, Canada

Olympic Plaza is one of the popular tourist attractions in Calgary. This plaza was constructed during the 1988 Winter Olympics exclusively as a venue for medal presentation. Here you will find a legacy hall that commemorates the winners through display of plaques. Today, Olympic Plaza is used for hosting festivals and concerts.

Olympic Plaza is abuzz with activities during the cheery summer months. There are festivities and music in the air and sparkling water fountains. During lunch hour, downtown patrons frequent the park. The Stampede breakfast and the exciting Latino-fest are held at this plaza. If you think this park is deserted during the chilly winter months, think again. The wading pool is converted to a skating rink and people come in large numbers to enjoy skating.

Famous Five Monument

The Famous Five monument consists of polished bronze sculptures located in downtown Calgary, Alberta at the south-west corner of Canada Olympic Plaza. It celebrates the accomplishments of Emily Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney, and Nellie McClung, collectively known as The Famous Five, in their extensive legal battle in the 1929 ‘Persons’ Case.’

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Calgary City Hall

800 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5E6, Canada

The 1911 Calgary City Hall, a four-storey sandstone building with central clock tower, is located on the corner of Macleod Trail and Seventh Avenue in downtown Calgary. Currently used as the office of the mayor and alderman, it is the architectural focal point of the City Hall complex that consists of two later additions – the 1962 four-storey brick extension to rear of the original building and the massive wedge-shaped, mirrored-glass structure that was built in 1985 and known as the Calgary Municipal Building. Its location on the eastern edge of the Central Business District, across from Olympic Plaza and near the terminus of Steven Avenue pedestrian Mall, forms the civic focal point of the city. The designation refers to the original 1907-1911 building.

Family of Horses

313 7 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0J1, Canada

Located in Calgary Municipal Building

These horses were presented to The City of Calgary bySpruce Meadows on behalf of the horse industry of Alberta.The stallion overlooking the mare and foal signifies thebond and strength among families

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Studio Bell National Music Centre

850 4 St SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0L8, Canada

Rising in a neighbourhood called the East Village, the National Music Centre’s Studio Bell is a bold statement. It is a national monument to music built not in Toronto or even Ottawa – but in Calgary. It is a work of impressive architecture in a neighbourhood that could have once, not that long ago, been described as barren. It is multigenre: not a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or a Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or a hallowed hall of classical music. It is not a museum, either, but it has collections and exhibitions; it’s not a school, but there will be educational programs; it’s not a concert hall, but it will host concerts.

Calgary Tower

101 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1J9, Canada

Originally called Husky tower, Calgary tower was built to honour Canada’s centennial year of 1967 and to promote downtown area growth. It was opened to public in 1968 as the tallest building in Canada outside of Toronto.

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Stephen Avenue Walk

340 8 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1C1, Canada

Between the 1880s and 1930, Calgary’s Stephen Avenue reflected the growth of a typical Canadian prairie city. Built near the rail yards and train station along six blocks of 8th Avenue, the two- to six-story buildings made of sandstone and brick became a bustling retail hub. The avenue still serves the same purpose today. Known as Stephen Avenue Walk, it remains the heart of the downtown core and Calgary’s only pedestrian mall, with nine major shopping centers, boutiques, galleries, performing arts spaces, upscale restaurants, pubs and cafés – a vibrant gathering place for Calgarians and visitors alike.

This downtown stretch is also the place to go for avid culture hounds; street performers, local artists and even festivals are often found here.

Devonian Gardens

CORE Shopping Centre, 333 7 Ave SW 4th floor, Calgary, AB T2P 1B5, Canada

Inside Stephen Avenue Mall is a 2.5-acre (1ha) indoor garden, comprising a full city block. In a city that can get downright frigid, its tropical plants and more than 550 trees are a welcome sight in deepest winter. The space, which recently reopened after a four-year refurbishment, is maintained by the City of Calgary Parks and includes koi ponds and a living wall.

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Courthouse Park

7 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 5P7, Canada

Harley Hotchkiss Gardens

The 1.5 acre Harley Hotchkiss Gardens is locate above the Alberta Court of Appeal parkade that encompass the entire block from 6th to 7th Avenues and 4th and 5th Street SW. The stately sandstone building has severed many different purposes including the Glenbow Museum from 1964 to 1977. At ground level is the old Court House, a futuristic LRT station with a connection to Holt Renfew, a water feature and the grassland gardens that is home to the Joe Fafard’s eight stampeding horses titled “Do Re Me Fa Sol La Si Do”

 Artist Joe Fafard created in 2010 in this park the beautiful public art pieces known as “Do re mi fa sol la si do”. Celebrating the sister-city relationship between Calgary and Quebec City, the heart of steel-cut horses seems to run through Downtown Calgary in front of the magnificent backdrop of the Calgary Skyline. Definitively, one of our favorite places in Downtown Calgary, Alberta.

Joanne Schachtel’s artwork/bench titled “Buffalo Trail” is meant to double as a bench for people to sit on. Unfortunately it is often in the shadow of the Courthouse building, which makes it less popular as a place to sit.

Calgary Petroleum Club

319 5 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0L5, Canada

Turner Valley Mural 

On our way from Harley Hotchkiss Gardens, we encountered the gigantic Turner Valley Mural on the 6th Avenue SW, south side of the Petroleum Club building. The huge painting (15 by 45 meters) was made in 1997 by Doug Driediger. For us, it looks like a summary of Alberta’s life including the role of oil and gas and agriculture, not to forget the Rocky Mountains as a spectacular backdrop of the painting.