Help decide the future of the arts in Calgary

Public art helps to make a city attractive and to foster a sense of pride in one’s community. Public art installations do not happen overnight, as much planning goes into what type of art is displayed. From now on, the Arts Champions Congress will be one way of deciding on the direction of public art in the city of Calgary. With any public display of art there also needs to be someone who can provide those works of art which need to be printed. Local printing companies in a community take great pride in being the ones called upon to print products such as banners and posters, as well as any prints that may be deemed suitable for public display.

The Arts Champions Congress, which it is hoped will become an annual event, takes place in the Calgary cultural district on September 29. The keynote speaker for the event will be Ben Cameron, the program director for the arts at the Doris Duke Foundation. The keynote sets the tone for all discussion which will follow. There will be round table discussions held throughout the city which will discuss issues brought up in the keynote speech; there will be panels, collaborative workshops and conversations “towards adaptability, resiliency and innovation”.

Those encouraged to take part in the congress are artists, government supporters, volunteers, policy makers and business people. Topics that are expected to be covered include the marketing of the arts, an exploration of exporting, how multi-tenant spaces can be used as a collaborative tool and shared art initiatives. This congress can only be a positive for the city of Calgary and will quite possible set the tone for the next few years in how the arts community will contribute to the appeal of the city.