Calgary's largest chalk artwork unveiled at Parade Square in southwest community of Currie

Artists Artists Nicole Wolf and Jarett Sitter were commissioned by area developer Canada Lands Company (CLC) to create the works.

Calgary — Calgary’s largest chalk art installation was unveiled Wednesday on the asphalt of the Parade Square in the southwest neighbourhood of Currie, with area school children set to add the final touches.

The initiative is designed to say 'Thank you' to the students, families, residents and educational staff, and welcome them back to school.

Artists Nicole Wolf and Jarett Sitter were commissioned by area developer Canada Lands Company (CLC) to create the works.

The art will span roughly 6,000 sq.-ft in the 200,000-sq.-ft. space. Once the artist's portion is done, children will add their creative touch in colouring the pieces.

“There are elements of these designs that have been left blank and they are open for interpretation, so the kids can fill them as they wish and use colours and images and blend that with the artists other work,” said Kelvin Whalen, senior director at CLC.

The artists say they are proud to be working on a piece that will bring the community together in a safe and socially distanced way.

“It's super rewarding to see all the kids interacting with our drawings and playing with it in some ways we never expected” said Sitter.

For Wolf, the highlight was seeing children "adding stuff that we didn’t anticipate them adding and interacting and making it their own."

Each space of the design focuses on different elements, such as the history of pilots in Currie, Morse code, and school subjects.

Work began Sept. 8 and is roughly 40 per cent complete. The goal is to finish the project by the end of September.