The City of Calgary has authorized $120,000 from its public art budget for a series of four murals inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
A call for submissions with a deadline of Aug. 17 has been issued for the first of four works by artists from Calgary’s Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities.
The first mural site is a wall opposite the Centre Street LRT station in downtown Calgary, now home to a longtime mural by Calgary artist Doug Driediger.
Pink Flamingo, with the assistance of artists Katie Green and Suitaakii Black, Calgary Arts Development and the Beltline Urban Mural Project, is facilitating the project. The artist budget is $20,000 and material costs will be covered by Pink Flamingo.
"The Black Lives Matter BIPOC Murals Project is a response to the current and historical Black Lives Movement taking place in our city and worldwide," the call for proposals says.
"Under the current circumstances of our socio-political climate, it is crucial that we find the capacity to come together to meet, rebuild and re-imagine our present way of relating to one another and to our future.
"The collective silence and irremediable damage that has been inflicted by systemic racism has gone on for far too long. It is clear that we need to be engaging in ongoing self-reflection, continuing education, relationship building and actual impactful, transformative anti-racism practices."
For more information, go here.
Source: Calgary Arts Development