West Eau Claire District
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“Community Art”. Photo taken by Jordan P. & Emma B
Before our Jane’s Walk even began, we weren’t sure what our area had in store. In all honesty, I think we thought that there would be a ton of cool places to talk about, it being downtown, but we didn’t have as many options as we had hoped. Downtown Calgary is a very lively area and seems to be where people go to meet up and have fun, but perhaps that is only in select areas. Once we had walked our area we found that there was little that jumped out as far as newcomer-friendly spaces, aside from some specific restaurants. Our group came across some artwork that we were pleasantly surprised to find when we walked through our space, like little pops of life among dull empty office buildings. There was something almost magical about a warm winter wandering upon poetic circles embedded in the ground, or bright coloured murals to bring light to the winter walk, particularly as the golden morning light started to break through the gaps between buildings. At first the concept of a community fireplace captured us, but then we noticed the trail of words beneath our feet. We loved looking down and reading as many of the brass circles as we could, and highly recommend heading down when the snow is fully melted to create your own story. At the end of this project, we were left with both appreciation for the little surprises we found, appreciative of the art embedded in our city, and optimistic about what all the empty spaces might mean. They are the future of an even better and brighter city, especially with what newcomers have to offer.
Jordan P. & Emma B.
