Community celebration planned for Saturday at Fire Hall No.1 as city aims to transform heritage buildings into arts hub

cSPACE threw a party Saturday celebrating the news that it will oversee the transformation of Fire Hall No. 1 and the Travellers Building into an arts hub.

Two of Calgary’s oldest heritage buildings are being celebrated, rather than torn down, on Saturday night.

The city announced earlier this week that it is teaming up with cSPACE Projects to repurpose Fire Hall No. 1 (140 Sixth Avenue S.E.) and the North-West Travellers Building (515 1st St. S.E.) into a new arts and culture hub.

Both buildings are over a century old – Fire Hall No. 1 was built in 1911 and the Travellers Building a year later, in 1912 – and a conceptual design and feasibility study must be undertaken first, but cSPACE Projects is going to celebrate regardless, on Saturday night, with a sunset presentation of fireWORKS by Article 11.

The community celebration will start at 6 p.m. and feature a blessing by Elder Ruth Scalplock, a spoken-word performance by City of Calgary Poet Laureate Shone Thistle, live music and guest performers with One Big Jam, and an introduction to artwork by Article 11, aka playwright and actor Tara Beagan and Andy Moro.

They’re the creators behind fireWORKS, which is described as art that “celebrates the extremes of Mohkinstsis/Calgary’s seasons by bringing the thrumming heat of summer into the hopeful chill of spring.

“The installation immerses pedestrians and drive-by audiences in scenes of Calgary’s iconic midway crowds running in parallel with thunderous stampeding buffalo. fireWORKS transforms the vacant heritage buildings into glowing canvases that awaken the downtown streets with creative energy.”

The goal of the city is to enhance Calgary’s downtown and create accessible spaces to promote creativity and culture. An arts hub would “improve opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers to have local studio/workspace and to display a variety of artworks reflecting a variety of mediums and art practices,” according to a City of Calgary website.

“This agreement is a big step in bringing new energy to two of Calgary’s most famous heritage buildings,” said city facility planning manager Ryan Meier.

“By partnering with cSPACE, we’re setting the stage for a unique space that will support Calgary’s growing arts community and offer a cultural hub in the heart of downtown.”

cSPACE president and CEO Deeter Schurig said the organization will look to implement some of the ideas that organization used to transform King Edward School into a dynamic arts hub over the past decade.

“We’re excited to partner with The City of Calgary to turn these historic buildings into a dynamic, iconic destination,” Schurig said. “Our plan for a creative hub will not only preserve Calgary’s history but also bring new life into the buildings.

“It will create a place for artists to be creative and help Calgary’s creative economy grow.”

Saturday’s event starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Admission is free.