The inspiration for the project began with researching the neighbourhoods of Kensington, Sunnyside and West Hillhurst. Mark collaborated with local writer Emily Ursuliak who wrote poems based on historical and societal aspects of the areas.
Stories of the sounds of ghostly horses from the past still heard in the local firehall; the history of Gladstone Road which is built on Treaty Seven Land, the packed earth formed the path from years of use long before the city was here. The acknowledgement of the homeless population in the neighbourhoods and a reminder to live with compassion and empathy; and a spotlight on our modern living taking over the skyline and casting shadows on the ground below.
All the visual components are wood and linocuts, which were hand printed, then collaged and pasted on the utility box.
Artist: Mark Eadie
Writer: Emily Ursuliak
About the Artist – Mark Eadie
Mark Eadie graduated from the Alberta College of Art + Design in 2009 from the Print Media department. His art mainly revolves around black and white imagery including pen and ink illustrations and carved woodblock prints. This allows him to create detailed and high contrast images with sharp lines and intricate patterning.
Location: 1101 Kensington Road NW
(on the SW corner of Kensington Road &
10th Street intersection)
#Utilistories Project
Kensington helped develop the Utility Box Public Art Program with the City of Calgary in 2017. We have several artist-painted boxes in Kensington focusing on the stories and history of the surrounding neighbourhoods of Hillhurst and Sunnyside.
This City of Calgary program used money for regular life-cycle maintenance of City assets in a creative way: street-level artworks are created on City utility boxes by local artists.
Special thanks to Alberta Printmakers who provided assistance to the artists in this project.
