Contemporary Calgary — Art You Can Take With You

Contemporary Calgary
Calgary, Alberta · 2026
Public art activation/artist multiples

For Contemporary Calgary’s Free First Thursday, I translated imagery from my existing artwork into a series of limited-edition tote bags, creating an interactive extension of my studio practice for approximately 750 gallery visitors.

Three designs were developed from previous works exploring environmental data, abstraction and perception. During the event, visitors could select a design and watch it being heat-pressed onto a tote, creating an informal opportunity to talk about the source material and the ideas behind the work. Approximately 450 pieces were distributed over the course of the evening.

The project explored how an artwork can shift scale, material and context while retaining its conceptual origins. Data that had previously existed within individual artworks became wearable, functional multiples circulating beyond the gallery.

The activation also created a different relationship between artist and audience. Rather than encountering the work only as a finished object, visitors participated through selection, conversation and the process of making.

Free First Thursday became an experiment in accessibility and translation: extending my visual language into a participatory format while creating an approachable entry point into larger conversations about environmental data and how we perceive it.