Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and Arts Commons, as partners in the delivery of the Arts Commons and Olympic Plaza Transformation (ACT and OPT) projects, have commissioned six Calgary-based artists—Anthony T. Russell, Harvey Nichol, Josee La Güita, Laura Caraballo, Paula Timm, and Chish—to create temporary public art installations to adorn the project site hoarding during construction.
ANTHONY T RUSSELL
Series title: Remember to Look Forward
Anthony is a Calgary-based artist and first-generation Canadian of Jamaican descent who uses art to challenge stereotypes, address social injustices, and celebrate the richness of melanin culture while advocating for equity and social change.
Anthony’s artworks for the ACT and OPT hoarding project are a four-part series titled, Remember To Look Forward. The over-arching concept, he explains, is intended to reflect a tribute to the legacy of the original Arts Commons building and the role it has played in activating Olympic Plaza and the city. At the same time, the panels visual elements look toward the future, reflecting on the next chapter for Arts Commons and Olympic Plaza as they collectively undergo a transformation.
“In the first two panels, I wanted to illustrate how the Arts Commons has activated the Olympic Plaza through various events such as Party In The Plaza and Chinook Blast. With the other two panels, I wanted to showcase diversity and how the Arts Commons fosters community inside their walls, by highlighting the TD Incubator program and the Arts Education program.”
Anthony credits his experience working closely with Arts Commons – first, as an early participant in the Arts Commons Emerging Visual Artist Program, and subsequently, as teaching assistant for the Arts Education program – as the driving factors for his interest in the hoarding project.
“I was drawn to this project because of how much of my artistic journey has been shaped by the support and opportunities I’ve received from the incredible people at Arts Commons. Everything good that has happened in my career has been, in some way, a byproduct of that space. I’m truly grateful, and I look forward to seeing how Arts Commons continues to evolve.”
Explore Anthony’s work at www.fearoftheunknownarts.ca and on Instagram @fua.visualstudios.
HARVEY NICHOL
Series titles: Bayanihan, Rebirth, 2020, and Voyage to the Unknown
Harvey is a Manila-born, Calgary-based multidisciplinary artist who blends neo-expressionism, folk, and street art into a style he calls social-folk-expressionism, exploring themes of identity, migration, and community shaped by his experiences as an immigrant and navigating youth homelessness and the foster care system.
The concept for the four panels draws from themes of community, history, and resilience, deeply connected to the legacy of Olympic Plaza as a space for gathering. The first panel, Bayanihan, reflects the Filipino spirit of community, through interconnected figures and symbols, representing collective strength and cooperation. The second panel, Rebirth, celebrates the ongoing renaissance of Calgary's contemporary art scene, highlighting the city's vibrant artistic transformation. The third panel, 2020, captures the energy and optimism of the 2020 BIPOC protests held at Olympic Plaza, commemorating the power of unity during a pivotal moment in Calgary’s history. The final panel, ‘Voyage to the Unknown’ symbolizes the immigrant journey, using the image of a boat navigating symbolic waters to represent the resilience of those who have come to Calgary from all over the world.
“I was drawn to this project because it offers a unique opportunity to engage with a public space that holds significant historical and cultural importance for Calgary,” he explains.
Describing his relationship with Arts Commons as transformative, especially during his time as a Lightbox Studio artist-in-residence, Harvey attributes the support and mentorship he received through RBC’s Emerging Visual Artists Program as instrumental in pushing the boundaries of his artistic practice.
“The program helped me refine my conceptual approach and professional skills, enabling me to create works that resonate deeply with my community. This opportunity to contribute to the Arts Commons and Olympic Plaza project feels like a natural extension of my growth as an artist and my commitment to using art to connect people and tell meaningful stories.”
Find Harvey’s work at www.harveynichol.ca and on Instagram @harveynichol.ca
JOSEE LA GÜITA
Series title: De Pétalo a Espíritu / From Petal to Spirit
La Güita is a visual artist based in Calgary who draws from her Mesoamerican ancestry to create contemporary works that blend vivid imagery, colors, and symbols, exploring themes of ancestral resistance, joy, and sacredness.
“As a Nicaraguan-Canadian artist,” she explains, “my identity has always been a part of my creative process as my artistic practice is largely inspired by the reclamation of my ancestral knowledge, stories, and histories.”
Arts Commons, she recalls, was the first space where she truly saw herself reflected in the art around her—a moment that reinforced the profound sense of belonging public art can create. She credits her participation in RBC’s Emerging Visual Artists Program for allowing her to experience the value of public art and giving rise to the importance of storytelling in her work.
Her series, De Pétalo a Espíritu, speaks to the importance of embracing growth and recognizing the beauty of transformation.
“My series explores the role we play as our own caretakers, responsible for nourishing, healing, and protecting ourselves,” Josee says. “This piece delicately unveils the spiritual link between the Hibiscus, a flower native to Mexico and Central America, and the Swan. Together, they symbolize renewal and transformation, with the swan guiding us to embrace change and release, capturing the essence of growth and harmony in our personal journey. The vibrant colors and movement represent the vitality and excitement of self-discovery, encouraging viewers to honour themselves no matter where they are in their journey.”
Follow La Güita’s work on Instagram @joseelaguita.
LAURA CARABALLO
Series title: Contemplation
Laura is a Colombian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist that uses technology and new media art like 3D sculpting, VR and mixed-media installation to create interactive spaces that foster meaningful community dialogue and connection.
Laura’s series Contemplation, examines the psychological significance of inhabiting the prairies through a 3D modelled landscape, blending insights from space psychology with their personal experience as a first-generation immigrant interacting with the landscape and ecosystem. Through three central symbols—the eye, the cow, and the prairie landscape—Laura delves into the qualities of the space that allow for introspection and hence self-knowledge. The cow symbolises the self, the eye represents consciousness, and Alberta’s grasslands serve as a setting for introspection—a unique state of awareness where we engage deeply with our thoughts, emotions, and mental processes.
This work reflects on how the vast visual expanse and quiet auditory landscape of the prairies foster an ideal environment for introspection. The awe-inspiring open spaces and gentle, rolling plains cultivate a sense of solitude, enabling an uninterrupted cognitive process in which the self meets consciousness. This meeting could be seen as a moment where the self observes, feels, and contemplates its existence.
The minimal elements present in the artwork that blends with the skyline, allows the mind to roam free, encouraging viewers to consider how the prairie environment supports self-reflection and discovery.
“I was drawn to this project as it inspired me to create a series of works that enhanced the safety, accessibility, and vitality of public spaces essential to the city’s cultural and social ecosystem,” Laura says. “I believe in the power of art in society and consistently pursues the upliftment of subversive narratives while nurturing and empowering her communities through art.”
PAULA TIMM
Paula is an artist, educator, and community builder, dedicated to enhancing access to creativity for all. As a compelling visual storyteller, Timm’s art is characterized by the bold use of colour and dynamic marks, conveying narratives that are both personal and universal. Grounded in story, her multi-disciplinary art practice reflects a dedication to living a life rich in creativity and joy.
For her series of three panels, Paula engaged over 100 students and teachers from four Calgary schools in a collaborative mural of our Blue Sky City, capturing a child’s perspective of life in Calgary. Each of the three panels was first illustrated by Paula, then projected onto canvases for students of all abilities to leave their mark.
Students from grades one through high school participated in 45-minute sessions, bringing the mural to life with paint, collage, cardboard, and glue. Final details and finishing touches – like adding the names of the participating schools and collaging the cardboard trees– were added by Paula, completing the three pieces.
See more of Paula’s work at paulatimm.com and on Instagram @paula_timm_artist.
CHISH
CHISH is a Zambian-born, visual artist and designer who discovered his passion for art at a young age, learning to draw from his cousin while living with his grandmother. Influenced by musicians, actors, artists, and world leaders, he pursued his dream of becoming a professional artist, beginning his career in 2020.
CHISH’s panel was developed in collaboration with members of the community at Arts Commons’ 2024 Plaza for All event, drawing inspiration from events hosted at Olympic Plaza and the iconic symbols that define Calgary’s identity
From the outset, CHISH’s approach was to invite discovery and playfulness. The foundation of the mural began with painting the background, buildings, flowers, Calgary Tower, and bricks. On the day of the Plaza for All event, community members were invited to contribute their own personal touches, creating a piece that speaks to sense of community and identity that can be realized through an active, inclusive public gathering place.
Learn more about CHISH at artofchish.ca
Arts Commons welcomes a new identity as Werklund Centre in September 2025 - learn more about the ACT and OPT projects at https://www.artscommons.ca/act.
