Calgary has a number of public statues and other artworks around the city. Most of the interesting ones are right downtown.
Wonderwall
In front to the curved 58 storey Norman Foster-designed Bow Building, this wire-fame human head is a top instagram location (but you are not allowed to climb the sculpture). Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, who has received international recognition for his head sculptures.
Chinook Arc
This colour changing (after dark) sculpture is located behind the Calgary Board of Education headquarters building and in the Barbara Scott Park, at the corner of 12 Avenue SW at 9th Street. This piece was conceptualized and produced by artist team Creative Machines, from Tucson, Arizona. This metal frame and all-weather plastic structure is light from the inside.
Centre Street Lions
The majestic lions guarding the Centre Street North bridge over the Bow
River were added to decorate the bridge was under construction, back in 1916. City council of the day thought the quotes from professional sculptors were too pricey. They lucked-out when they saw a stone lion on the porch of the northwest Calgary home of James Thomson. He happened to a city laborer who was a stonemason in Scotland.
The Family of Man
These ten 6.5-metre tall skinny figures live on the grounds of the Calgary Board of Education, on Macleod Trail South. They weigh an average of only 680 kilograms, being sculpted in aluminum by English artist Mario Armengol.
Family of Horses, in Municipal Plaza
This family of life-sized horses has been grazing at Municipal Plaza (City Hall) since 1989. The bronze artwork by Calgary-area artist
Harry O’Hanlon was the result of a civic competition. It was paid for by Marg Southern, the president and co-chairman of Spruce Meadows, Calgary’s world-class equestrian centre.
Northern Lights, at the Glenbow
The Aurora Borealis, an acrylic and aluminum sculpture rises four storeys tall in the central staircase of the Glenbow museum. The artist James Houston struggled with the size of the area it would fill, since the building was still roofless. He was thinking of this huge space, open to the sky, which inspired him to recreate the northern
lights. The Aurora Borealis was produced in 1976.
Olympic Arch (University of Calgary)
Several “arch” artworks were created in honor of the 1988 Olympic Winter
Games held in Calgary. The largest of these arches over the University of Calgary entrance from 32nd Avenue NW.
Another Olympic Arch, created by Colette Whiten and Paul Kipps of Toronto, is in front of the University of Calgary’s physical education complex (and the Olympic Oval). It used to be the official entrance to the Athlete’s Village at the U of C during the games. After the Olympics, the arch was displayed in front of the City Hall, but was returned to its original site in 1991 for the U of C’s 25th anniversary.