Calgary Arts Development Invites Calgarians to Reconnect to the Bow River

Calgary Arts Development will remount a popular public art project that was originally launched 10 years ago. Reconnecting to the Bow  is a response to an earlier artwork in the City of Calgary Public Art Collection created by Broken City Lab in July 2014 during the collective’s residency in the City of Calgary’s Watershed+ public art program. Now, a decade later, Broken City Lab is responding to this work and considering the many changes that have taken place over the last decade regarding the significance of the river in our community. 

“This has been an interesting summer when it comes to water,” says Calgary Arts Development President & CEO Patti Pon. “Although we’ve been dealing with water main breaks and restrictions, Calgarians have still been able to enjoy the Bow with record numbers of people swimming, splashing and floating down the river. Now, a simple phone call allows Calgarians to experience the sounds the Bow River has been making for thousands of years as it flows through the city—a powerful reminder of the role it plays as a central character in our past, present and future. Anyone can call the number while relaxing at home, while waiting for the bus, or from out of town when they’re missing Calgary.“

From August 12th until the end of December, the public is invited to phone 1.855.BOW.LSTN (1.855.269.5786) to hear the Bow’s rushing, gurgling and babbling voice on the other end of the line.

Reconnecting to the Bow brings playful, provocative and meaningful art experiences to the daily lives of Calgarians. Eight playful artworks will be displayed on posters, billboards, transit station digital screens and on social media platforms inviting Calgarians to call the Bow and listen to recordings of its various sounds. The recordings will change throughout the project so people may hear different sounds at different times. 

By revisiting a temporary time-based public artwork, this project serves as an opportunity to activate Calgary’s public art collection and weaves this artwork into the fabric of the city and the daily lives of Calgarians. Ten years after this unique Public Art project gave us a chance to call and listen to the Bow River, Calgarians can dial a new phone number for a new opportunity to reflect on their relationship with the river and its significance. This new artwork, Reconnecting to the Bow, will also be part of the Public Art Collection.