Found in the BMO Centre, the Calgary Stampede Artist Ranch Project is back in the Western Oasis within the BMO Centre. This initiative connects contemporary art with Alberta's western heritage. The project was launched in 2009 and ran until 2019. After a short hiatus, this year marks its much-anticipated return.
Jill Cross has been a Calgary Stampede volunteer for over 20 years. She has chaired several different committees along the way and is currently on the Public Art Committee and the Stampede Art Committee.
“The genesis [of the Stampede Artist Ranch Project] was to bring artists to create a body of work by visiting a southern Alberta Ranch,” says Jill.
Earlier this year, five Alberta artists were brought to the OH Ranch to reignite the initiative. Situated on the Highwood River west of Longview, the 8,000-acre OH Ranch is a 130-year-old working cattle ranch with a rich and storied past. The property was donated to the Calgary Stampede Foundation by philanthropist Bill Siebens in 2012, with the Stampede serving as its current steward.
Over two days, the artists explored the property, learned about the ranch's history, and immersed themselves in the rhythms of this living, working landscape. That experience became the inspiration for the work on display in the Western Oasis.
The five artists selected for this re-launch were each chosen from those whose work was curated into the new BMO Centre Art Collection on Stampede Park.
“They typically work in mediums that are less traditionally Western than you may see in the Stampede Art Show now. So, it’s a great opportunity to attract a different buying audience.” says Jill.
Art from the Calgary Stampede Artist Ranch Project can be found in the Western Oasis in the BMO Centre, Hall E.
And Jill is thrilled to see it back. “It’s just a great opportunity to collect a piece of work from a well-known contemporary artist."
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