PROJECT
FEATURE ARTICLE
CALGARY URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Art In The Public Square
– ABOUT THE PROJECT
Calgary is undergoing an urban transformation with its massive East Village redevelopment project, converting an underutilised area in the city’s east end and remaking it into a vibrant community built for the 21st century. At the heart of this multi-year project is public art. After being commissioned by a Calgary Urban Development publication to consider the role of art in contributing to the vitality of public spaces, it was inspiring to learn how forward-thinking and community-focused the East Village project is aiming to be. With key pieces of public art used to animate the creative spirit of the community. Good on Calgary to commit to the enriching value of public art.
“Leave it to the 1960s to pop that point of view. Public art found new forms and tricks and started playing a regenerative role in civic spaces. The soul inherent in a piece of original art – in something privately- crafted not mass-produced or politically-motivated –was given value. Public art came to be appreciated for what it can do rather than for simply what it is. The vital space around the art – all that open civic land – came to matter as much as the vitality in the art.”
– Barry Dumka
EXCERPT
CALGARY URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Art In The Public Square
The creative energy of a city is fueled by the inspired efforts of all its citizens but public art can help spark the imagination of a place. Don’t set off any alarm bells but East Village is about to be set on fire.
Public art will serve as communal hearths for East Village, as memorable gathering places where a mix of people can come together and share ideas and inspiration. As Yves Trépanier of Calgary’s TrépanierBaer Gallery notes, “For creative cities, public art is the new town square”. And for East Village, the art in that square will definitely think outside the box. Public art is an opportunity for Calgary to reimagine it’s identity and say something different about itself. In East Village, Cowtown is about to go contemporary. As Clare Nolan of CMLC says, “Expect the unexpected.”
Public art today is a catch-all term for a wide variety of creative practices. From ephemeral sculptures to digital media to kinetic art, a greater diversity of art objects is willing to get out of the gallery and into the open air. A Victorian view of public art was often cast as so many bronzed examples of monuments, memorials and civic statuary. Basically dead men on pedestals.
Whether they were up there for valour or vanity was often beside the point. The aim was veneration, not conversation.
— (end of excerpt)
© Barry Dumka/BCREATIVE CONSULTING
Our Services
Copywriting + Ghost Writing
What you say matters.
BCreative Consulting provides our clients a wide range of written and ghostwritten material to achieve their messaging goals. The key is to write with an audience in mind. Emotion, authenticity and storytelling all play a part in capturing the attention and loyalty of others.
For artists, personal brands and small businesses, the story of their creative individuality - the vital core of their identity - is a powerful opportunity to connect what they do with others. Your audience wants to be informed and inspired. Go at it with gusto.
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BCreative Consulting works with our clients to shape the image and stories they share in this social media-fuelled marketing age. Digital storytelling is one of the most effective methods for growing audience engagement, developing your brand presence and driving sales. Compelling content earns you stature, inspires trust and stokes curiosity and loyalty. But you have to think about your audience as much as yourself. Still, even the most personal stories can have universal appeal. Be relatable and be inspiring.
Art Consulting + Event Curation
What others experience matters.
BCreative provides art consulting and event curation services for select projects to create aesthetically appealing and client-focused experiences. With extensive art consulting and project management experience for residential, commercial and hospitality projects throughout North America, we know the vision and strategic choices necessary to create exceptional art collections. Sales-focused creative events also require strategic planning and a purposeful vision. To create lasting value, it's essential to make a beautiful first impression.
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As a freelance creative consultancy, BCreative Consulting gets involved in many unique projects specific to the needs of our clients. We enjoy insightful conversations, positive client relationships and heralding the authentic meaning and value at the core of all creative efforts. It’s a powerful opportunity – and a great challenge – to inspire an audience. And we love being part of that process.
Do you have a project that needs some strategic help? Or a good story?