Guide Originally Posted: September 2017
Guide Last Updated: September 2020
One of my favourite things to do in a city is find their Instagrammable Walls. Every city has them. Being ‘Instagrammable’ simply describes the wall’s aesthetic. These pretty, interesting coloured, textured, muralled, highly photogenic walls make a great backdrop for photos! They can be indoor or outdoor, but I’ve primarily focused on outdoor walls (they’re more accessible!)
I think Instagrammable Walls add to the beauty of a city, and can attract people to a location as a destination. It’s a wonderful way to explore and experience art, and discover artists!
If you live in the city, you’ve likely walked or driven by Instagrammable Walls but wouldn’t notice it’s ‘Instagrammable’ unless someone pointed it out. Or, maybe you note ‘that’s pretty’ but keep going.
If you’re from out of town, watching for and photographing Instagrammable Walls is a really great way to explore a new place, discover artists and artwork, and in today’s social media world, it gives you some really great settings for vacation photos to share online!
I’ve been hosting Instagrammable Walls Photo Walks in Edmonton this summer (2017), and have mapped out a Guide to Edmonton’s Most Instagrammable Walls.
In September 2017, I partnered with Tourism Calgary produce a Guide to Calgary’s Instagrammable Walls too, and then in September 2020, I revisited for an update to this guide! (I’ve been to Calgary a lot between 2017 and 2020, lol you can check out all my Calgary travel blog posts here!)
Check out some of Calgary’s Most Instagrammable Walls below!
Note: murals change often, so you may read this, head to a wall, and find it’s different or perhaps a building has been taken down. lol. I’ve also tried to include artist information where I could. If you know the artist for a wall that does not include an artist credit, please let me know and I’ll include it! Also, this is certainly not an exhaustive list of all the possible Instagrammable Walls in Calgary, but it’s a pretty good one, lol.
Many (but not all) of the walls I visited during my September 2020 visit (featured in this guide) were part of the Beltline Urban Mural Project (BUMP) Festival, Calgary’s amazing annual mural festival!
Learn about the Beltline Urban Mural Project + Festival / see all past BUMP mural and artist information
Use and share my Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Calgary!
Be sure to email, tweet @lindork, message me on Instagram @lindork, or share Calgary wall locations/photos on Instagram using #IGWallsofYYC and #CaptureCalgary to get them added to the list! Also be sure to follow the artists listed and @YYCBUMP!
Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Calgary
Last Updated: September 2020
Location: 1331 16th Ave SW
Artist: Michelle Hoogveld
Mural Title: “Love, Said The People” (YYC BUMP FESTIVAL 2020)
Location: 119 12 Ave. SW (Hotel Arts)
Artist: Mono Sourcil
Mural Title: “All Together” (YYC BUMP FESTIVAL 2020)
Location: 348 14 Ave. SW
Artist: Slugger Studio
Mural Title: “Creature Comforts” (YYC BUMP FESTIVAL 2020)
Location: 348 14 Ave SW
Artist: Andrew Tavukciyan
Mural Title: “I Love You Coffee Shop” (YYC BUMP FESTIVAL 2020)
Location: 10th Ave and 12th Street
Artist: Katie Green
Location: Thompson Family Park – 1236 16 Ave SW
Artist: Sergey Ryutin
Location: 1501 15 Ave SW
Artist: Rhys Douglas Farrell
Location: The Camera Store (802 11 Ave SW)
Artist: Gust of Wind Studio
Location: Alley of Myhre’s Deli (1411 11 St. SW)
Location: Underpass near Studio Bell (850 4 St SE)
Artist: Michelle Hoogveld
Location: Saneal Cameras (1410 11 Ave SW)
Artist: Rhys Douglas Farrell & Shane Arsenault
Location: Saneal Cameras (1410 11 Ave SW)
Artist: Curtis van Charles Sorenson
(YYC BUMP FESTIVAL 2017)
Location: Staples (321 61 Ave SW)
Location: East Village River Walk (near Simmons Building, 618 Confluence Way SE)
Artist: Katie Green (note: these murals are temporary and may be different / from a different artist when you read this guide!)
Location: PARK PARK (9th Ave 11 St SE – Inglewood)
Artist: Public City Architecture
Location: Foxglove Studio (915 9 Ave SE – Inglewood)
Location: Luke’s Drug Mart / Bridgeland (102 4 St. NE)
Artist: Michelle Hoogveld
Location: Parking lot of the Palomino Smokehouse (109 7 Ave SW.)
Artist: Van Charles
Location: East Village Junction 439 8 Ave SE.
Location: 2613 14 St. SW (by Fringe Hair)
Location: 10202 Ave. NW (ContainR Park in Sunnyside)
Additional Details: ContainR is a pop-up arts and culture hub, the first city-permitted Art Park in Calgary.
Note: these murals change!
Location: 1133 Kensington Rd NW (behind Plaza Theatre)
— cm (@Crackmacs) September 19, 2017
Location: 449 9A St NW (Geo’s Hair near Sunnyside CTrain Station)
Location: Along 26 Ave., between 15 A St. and 16 St. SW
Location: 1409 4 St. SW (Winston Manor)
Artist: James Wyper
Location: 1403 4 St. SW (Lindt)
Location: 1503 4 St. SW (Parking Lot of Rose & Crown Pub)
Artist: Nelson “Dedos” Garcia / Nomadic Alternatives
Location: 117 15 Ave SW (Deli Oriental Meat Style & Food)
Artist: Rhys Douglas Farrell
Location: 809 1 Ave NE (Blue Star Diner)
Location: 124 2 Ave SW (parking lot across from Chinese United Church, Chinatown)
Location: 710 17 Ave SW (Reid’s Stationers)
Location: 124 10 St. NW (near/behind Oak Tree Tavern in Kensington/Hillhurst)
Location: 1443 Kensington Rd NW (Chicken on the Way)
Location: Sunnyside CTrain Bridge Underpass (north of the Sunnyside CTrain Station—drive or walk up in direction of SAIT).
—
You made it to the end!
As I said, if I’m missing a wall, please let me know! If I’m missing artist information (which I am) and you know it (which would be great!) please let me know too.
Be sure to email, tweet @lindork, message me on Instagram @lindork, or share Calgary wall locations/photos on Instagram using #IGWallsofYYC and #CaptureCalgary to get them added to the list!
Use + share my Guide to Instagrammable Walls of Calgary!
Thank you to Tourism Calgary for helping me set up an itinerary to come scout Instagrammable Walls of Calgary!
Linda
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Disclaimer: I will always provide my 100% honest opinion on this blog. I partnered with Tourism Calgary for a weekend exploring the city to capture Calgary’s most Instagrammable Walls. This does not impact the opinions stated in this post. I really, really love finding, photographing and sharing Instagrammable Walls!
Thanks to Nicola Pringle (@nicopringo) for designing my Guide to Instagrammable Walls logo!
2 Comments
Really love that owl.
Thanks for including us!
Hey, thanks for this post! With these new restrictions I am determined to find alternate entertainment that are inexpensive and do-able. What a fun day we’ll have walking around seeing these awesome displays and will get some take out to picnic some where’s along the way. Cheers!