Whose Imagination Are We Living In?

Tyson BankertCurator

9 stops · 29 min · 7.5 km

“Whose imagination are we living in?” It is a question we don't often ask ourselves. The process of finding an answer requires wonder and care. Hopping on and off your bike to explore this question can be a profound experience. For many, the bicycle brings memories of childhood and freedom. It is a mode of transportation that allows us to explore new places while also slowing down enough to notice our surroundings. On the way from St. Patrick’s Island to the Journey to Freedom Park, each stop invites you to sit, start a conversation, interact with artworks, and embrace whimsy while reflecting on imagination. It is a reminder that our imagination is endless, and that bringing it into our daily lives takes practice. As adults, we can suffer from “playground amnesia,” or forgotten rhythms, whimsy and connections fostered through play. Each artwork may help you reconnect with those experiences, whether it’s greenspaces, playgrounds, water or storytelling. I’m grateful to the artists who, through their own creative expression, help shape our responses to the question: “Whose imagination are we living in?”

Stops

1
Bloom
Bloom is a 23-meter-tall sculpture composed of repurposed streetlights, arranged to resemble a blossoming flower, serving as a prominent landmark and a functional light source on St. Patrick's Island.
Commissioned by Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, artist Michel de Broin created an iconic 23-metre piece to start your journey. Expanding our cultural notion of what can be used as art, Bloom is created out of repurposed streetlight fixtures to form this inspired flower-like structure. Bloom is also functional as it shines bright at night, illuminating the west side of St. Patrick’s Island Park. The park is home to many plant species, community gatherings and river views. Bloom is an ever present piece that provides a playful element to the park. Calgary is blooming into a city full of pop, colour and art! I hope you appreciate Bloom, the same way ospreys who’ve made their nest on the top of the structure have.
4 min · 847 m to next stop
2
Bubble Tree Light Sculpture
A head-turning, whimsical sculpture that defines the area and is a fan favourite for visitors and residents alike.
Welcome to Bridgeland, where the Bubble Tree stands out in the neighbourhood’s tree canopy. It’s another structure along the tour inspired by nature; the Bubble Tree lights up the urban landscape. It’s whimsical, bright and inspired by the many grade school students who helped reimagine the overall sense of playfulness of the park. The Bubble is a pivotal piece in the array of playful elements, from unique playground equipment, integrated design and other public artworks like murals. At night the Bubble Tree serves as a fun lightshow. The sculpture serves as an entryway to the park that reminds us of how much fun we can still have.
2 min · 697 m to next stop
3
Wishing Well
This is a community wishing well where your words become music to our ears and colours to our eyes. You are both the composer and the audience of this ongoing symphony of light and sound. Text a message, a greeting or a wish to 1-587-327-9939.
The “wish” for this installation was to finally be seen. From 2014 to 2022, Wishing Well was in storage before finding a new home in Bridgeland. Make a wish— perhaps a childhood wish— by texting the number 587.327.9939. Enter the stainless-steel dome to see your wish come to life through light and sounds. Our collective hopes, dreams and wishes are the beginning of future possibilities. Artists Louise Bertelsen and Po Shu Wang offer an opportunity for reflection and an invitation to dream. As you cycle to the next artwork, take a look at the colourful and playful concrete barriers painted by several artists through the BUMP Road Works program. As you cross south on the 12th Street Bridge over the Bow River, look for Bloom in the distance to the west.
5 min · 1.4 km to next stop
4
Wolfe and the Sparrows
"Wolfe and the Sparrows" is a cast bronze sculpture inspired by an existing statue of General James Wolfe, sculpted by John Massey Rhind in 1898.
Oki, you have arrived at Wolfe & The Sparrows. Translated from Blackfoot syllabics, the text reads: “The Warrior / Sparrows are his spiritual guide / they flew his spirit / he is home now home.” Artist Brandon Vickerd challenges Canada's colonial legacy through a new work inspired by the original statue of General James Wolfe, which remains in the Mount Royal neighbourhood. The artwork invites us to reflect on how the past shapes our collective future. When we ponder the question “Whose imagination are we living in?” Vickerd’s work offers a compelling response: our imaginations are often shaped by the people and systems that came before us. Wolfe & The Sparrows invites us to imagine new possibilities for the future.
3 min · 480 m to next stop
5
Ripple
Inspired by a River Blessing and generated in consultation with the local Inglewood community and representatives from the Blackfoot and Cree Nations, this walking circle is designed to be a meaningful vantage point from which to consider the river.
Cross the street to find Ripple, a 10-metre diameter walking circle created by artist duo Wade Baker and Mary Tasi. This interactive installation invites you to deepen your relationship with the Bow River. Throughout the tour, the Bow River serves as a constant companion.
2 min · 399 m to next stop
6
Nellie Breen Park Gazebo
In the middle of this vibrant playground sits a gazebo honouring Nellie Breen, a community activist who remained active until her death in 1995. Nellie advocated for the green space to become a park where all children could play. In 2008, Inglewood resident Corinne Dickson launched a community art project to adorn the gazebo with the glass mosaic tiles you see today. Look up at the ceiling to see a glass mosaic mandala created by Corinne. Nellie Breen Park is another reminder that playful places can also hold rich histories of community building.
4 min · 1.1 km to next stop
7
Bow Passage Overlook
This engaging environmental artwork reframes how we look at the practice of public art and its ability to impact our physical and natural spaces.
The Bow Passage Overlook is another gateway to play at Harvie Passage. Stop and witness Calgarians enjoying the water and basking in what the Bow River has to offer. Since the historic 2013 flood, the side channel has been transformed into a destination for a variety of recreational activities. Artist Lorna Jordan seamlessly weaves together plant life, fallen pillar-like structures and gathering spaces. The integration of infrastructure and art combined is an important part of the experience. The overlook inspires me to imagine a final battle, the romantic gesture or the grand rescue.
8 min · 2.4 km to next stop
8
Forest Lawn Lift Station
Forest Lawn Lift Station invites curiosity about the vast and complex systems needed to sustain our urban way of life and enriches our understanding and pleasure in the hidden world of urban water beneath our feet.
After crossing Deerfoot Trail via the 17th Avenue SE transit bridge, you will arrive at the Forest Lawn Lift Station. The colours change based on the water volume. Artist collective Sans façon invites us to consider what is happening beneath our feet. Over time, neighbours may begin to recognize patterns in what each colour signifies, turning everyday infrastructure into a kind of shared game. This artwork demonstrates how imagination can help us connect with a vital resource like water. Our imaginations help us see what is usually hidden from view.
<1 min · 211 m to next stop
9
Vietnamese Boat People Monument
A monument to the Vietnamese "boat people" that came to Canada in the 1970s.
Return the way you came to arrive at the final destination: a park that honours the stories and resilience of the Vietnamese boat people. It is a memorial site that invites reflection of the possibilities we can create together on this land. The park serves as the heritage gateway to International Avenue. Ending the tour at Journey to Freedom Park is a reminder of community, collective play and belonging. When we belong together, we create a shared sense of identity and meaning that allows us to imagine something new.