On Tuesday, City Council heard an update from the 2014 Airdrie Summer Games Legacy Project Committee on a cultural legacy project to commemorate the events.

Al Jones, Kim Cheel and Donna Barrett told council that they have selected Calgary artist Alexandra Haeseker to make the public artwork commemorating the games.

Haeseker was one of three submissions that met criteria set by the City for the project. No local artists made submissions that met those criteria. The artists were allowed to submit ideas for either Genesis Place or Chinook Winds, the two main sites of the 2014 games. Haeseker's piece will make use of the Genesis Place mezzanine.

"When we showed her the mezzanine where the artwork is going, she lit up, and it lit up the committee," said committee member Donna Barrett. "It just made so much sense for the work she proposed to go there."

Haeseker has had a lengthy career as an artist with many exhibitions around the world. She has created public artwork in Canada since the 1990's, and her most recent work, West Ride Story, hangs in the Calgary Airport. Barrett said that Haeseker's long resume made her a favourite, but her proposed artwork sealed the deal for the committee.

"She's actually taken care to select images provided by the Games Committee of people that represent all the aspects of the games, and I think that's what the committee liked as a whole, that it wasn't just the athletes."

Mayor Peter Brown said that he was excited by the update, and looks forward to when the artwork is complete.

"I really love the way they identified all aspects within the art of the games. There were volunteers recognized, all the athletes were recognized. It's just a beautiful tribute to an exceptional event."

The City hopes to have an unveiling of the artwork in November.

 

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