Public and community art

The City of Airdrie recognizes that public art contributes to a healthy quality of life for its residents. There are a number of examples of public art within the city that we welcome you to experience and enjoy.

View interactive public art map

Îethka Stoney Grandmother's Teachings Sculptures

These anonymously donated sculptures located at Nose Creek Regional Park are a symbol to honour Indigenous Peoples who have been in relationship with this land since time immemorial and continue to live in the City of Airdrie and its surrounding rural districts. The sculptures bring spiritual and physical presence to the landscapes of the City of Airdrie.

The sculptures depict a setting in 1909, when Airdrie was established, with a grandmother sharing her traditional knowledge of local vegetation with her grandchildren.

The concept of the sculptures was a collaborative effort between the donor, Elders and Knowledge Keepers and award-winning artists, Don and Shirley Begg, Studio West Bronze Foundry located in Cochrane, Alberta. Indigenous consultation refined many elements of this process, including the addition of the dog that typically accompanied women when gathering medicines, which can still be found today in Nose Creek Park. The estimated value of this donation is over $300,000. 

There will be a dedication ceremony for this project upon its completion on September 30, in conjunction with the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Learn more about the sculptures.

Dr. Jose Rizal Monument

The Philippine Consulate General in Calgary, the Filipino Airdrie Association, and the Dr. Jose Rizal Monument Project Team worked with the City of Airdrie to enhance public space in Airdrie by installing a monument of Dr. Jose Rizal in Nose Creek Park.

Rizal was a nationalist living in the mid-to-late 1800s who opposed Spanish colonial rule and pushed for democratic rights, freedom, justice and social reforms. He was known for his intellectual prowess and compassion for his countrymen. The Spanish colonial government charged him with inciting rebellion after the Philippine revolution. Rizal was executed on Dec. 30, 1896.

The monument was officially unveiled October 23, 2021. This project is truly a gift to Airdrie as it celebrates the continued efforts of creating a more inclusive and diverse community.

Totem Poles in Gwacheon Park

In 1997, the City of Airdrie developed a sister city relationship with the City of Gwacheon, Korea. The sister city relationship started with the intent to provide opportunities for Airdrie residents to share cultural experiences, develop friendships and explore economic opportunities for local businesses with the City of Gwacheon. Although the relationship is inactive, we are proud of the many friendships that were developed by this strong international connection.

The butterfly symbol of the City of Gwacheon was used for the central flowerbeds, the flag poles and the sitting area that are located on the east side of Nose Creek Park. In 2007, six handcrafted totem poles were donated to the City of Airdrie by Gwacheon, Korea to commemorate 10 years of sharing a sister city relationship.

The Gwacheon Totem Poles have recently been removed from Nose Creek Park and are in the process of being assessed by a structural engineers. Restoration plans are also in the works and more information about the Totems will be added to this website in Winter 2023.

Canada 150 Mosaic Project at Nose Creek Park

For Canada's sesquicentennial birthday, an initiative from the Mural Mosaic team - creating 150 murals across Canada, landed in Airdrie. Spearheaded by Creative Airdrie during ARTember 2017, 400 Airdrie residents took part in various painting workshops. Each painting told a story, and together, assembled into a large mural grid, magically transforming the paintings into a unified mosaic to represents Airdrie. This community project can be found at the Nose Creek Park concession. View Canada's Mosaic Murals

Centennial Sphere at City Hall

The Centennial Sphere sculpture on Main Street was created by Cochrane artist Honsun Chu to celebrate Airdrie's Centennial in 2009. The Legacy Project is a representation of Airdrie’s growth integrating time, space and people to reveal the history of Airdrie. 

Street Art Gallery

With the goal of encouraging aerosol art to add vibrancy to the City, panels have been dedicated to aerosol art at Highland Park, Nose Creek Park and East Lake Regional Park.

The Street Art Gallery officially opened to the public in 2014 and was informally managed by the City of Airdrie and Creative Airdrie. Although the gallery was intended to be a temporary space for street artists, the space operated for years with great success. The site was also host to several ARTember workshops where ethical and safe street art was promoted and practiced by the community.

ATB Powering Possibilities art at Airdrie parks

City of Airdrie, in partnership with ATB Financial, installed new public art at three Airdrie parks. The art is created by three winning local middle and high school students and painted onto sea cans located at Chinook Winds and Fletcher regional parks as well as the shelter at Nose Creek Park.

This initiative came to fruition in June 2023 as a result of a contest for local youth to submit artwork with the theme of “Powering Possibility for Albertans.” The three winners are high school students Damoya Fearon, Victor Matthews and Kiera MacDonald.