CrossIron Mills is much like any other mall, with big brand stores, a large food court, and shoppers bustling about as they look for their next purchase.
But located near entrance five and the food court of Balzac’s popular shopping destination is a new interactive art exhibit that is sharing an important message with passersby.
In the spirit of Earth Day on April 22, CrossIron Mills recently partnered with art-focused non-profit PARK (Promoting Artists and Redefining Kulture) to spread awareness about climate change and the importance of sustainability to create a healthier planet.
Through the artistic contributions of a few local artists, PARK has created an engaging open exhibit called the Eco Hub, where visitors can learn more about environmental sustainability and take in the colourful displays of art that were all created from recycled materials.
CrossIron Mills’ marketing manager Joel Tatlow said the experience of working with PARK and local artists has helped make the exhibit special.
“It just makes everything really ‘pop,’ especially when you’re talking about a topic like sustainability that’s a little bit complicated to understand,” he said. “It’s wonderful to be able to present that topic in a visual language using local Calgary artists.”
Considering the art display is in an open public space, Tatlow said they are committed to spreading awareness of important issues.
To further promote sustainability, the Eco Hub features a mural that talks about the impacts of climate change. In addition, the art display includes a pledge wall, and with each public pledge, CrossIron Mills is promising to donate $5 to the Alberta Council for Environmental Education.
“We have a variety of sustainability initiatives here at the property that we’re looking to celebrate with this Eco Hub,” Tatlow said. “We have this public platform where there’s a ton of people here and it’s important for us to be able to raise awareness about an important issue like sustainability and the health of our planet.”
With this year’s Earth Day theme being ‘Invest in Our Planet,’ Tatlow is excited for Airdrie and area shoppers to immerse themselves in the exhibit in the coming days.
He hopes the public will see the efforts CrossIron Mills is making to promote a sustainable planet for the future. On this topic, he also touted a few of the mall’s own green initiatives.
“It’s really great for us to be able to have this public forum for people to interact and engage with that concept in a way that’s really visceral and really tangible and really visual for people to understand,” Tatlow said.
“I also hope that people get a sense of the sustainability efforts that we have going on here at the property. Sometimes those get so lost behind our operations team, but we do really have some interesting environmental and sustainability projects going on at the property that I hope people can take in and understand when they visit the Eco Hub.”
One of the Calgary artists who contributed to the Eco Hub is Tyler Lemermeyer. Using over 2,000 cans and 11 different colours of paint, his display provides viewers with a deeper meaning.
“I wanted to create something that really celebrated Earth Day and a depiction of earth,” Lemermeyer explained. “In the actual piece, there’s a mirror which allows you to see yourself reflected within the piece and on the other side, there’s a heart and it kind of acts as the earth’s core.”
Lemermeyer hopes his piece promotes positive conversations around the topic of sustainability, while avoiding the sense of doom-and-gloom that often encompasses the topic of climate change.
“It’s more about starting the conversation and being more consciousness about how you can be better,” he said.
Lemermeyer feels the Eco Hub will continue the public conversation about an increasingly important issue.
“Having art and creating this playful, inviting space, especially in a place where there’s going to be a lot of traffic and a lot of people that are going to see the installation, I think it really kind of gives exposure to a lot of people,” he said said.
The Eco Hub exhibit will be on display for viewers to enjoy until April 30. The displays are located near entrance five and the food court at CrossIron Mills.
