Covy Moore/Rocky View Publishing

Artists can exhibit their work at the Genesis Place gym. Michael McAllister, community developer with the City of Airdrie, encourages local artists to contact the City if they are interested in showcasing their work.

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Artists have opportunity to showcase work

With sweat dripping from your face, you take a swig of your water bottle on the way out of the gym.

You stop and notice something that doesn’t fit in with the treadmills and weight machines.

Art easels line the exit to the gym at Genesis Place and they are filled with original, local artwork.

“It’s neat to surprise people. The most (true) artistic experience is when you least expect it,” said Michael McAllister, community developer with the City of Airdrie.

“You have people going in there with their yoga gear or to lift some weights and they see a piece of (featured) art and it resonates with them in different ways.”

McAllister said artwork, done by Airdrie and area artists, has successfully showcased local talents in the past three years it has decorated Airdrie City Hall and Genesis Place.

“It’s really positive,” he said.

“I think both sports and arts are important to a community. There are so many synergies and they can be complimentary in so many ways. The art in Genesis Place is just a fine example of that.”

McAllister said the City encourages artists of all ages, training, backgrounds and styles to submit their work for display.

“By the nature of art, you can never predict what people are going to come up with,” he said.

“It can go in a multitude of different directions. We really try to be as open as possible.

“We have had artists as young as 10 and we’ve had seniors’ artwork.”

Pieces are displayed for two months in one or both locations depending on the amount of submissions.

“We’re always looking for artists,” he said.

“When we’re too full that’s a good problem.”

He said artists benefit from exposure and sometimes even sell their art.

While the City of Airdrie isn’t promoting the sale of art, staff will facilitate communication between artists and residents interested in purchasing it.

“We don’t pretend to be a gallery, we just provide a venue for residents to showcase their work,” McAllister said.

“In the past three years, we’ve had a good portion of artists who have really set their artistic career off because of it.”

To submit artwork, call McAllister at 403-948-8800 extension 8776.