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8th Ave Intersection Mural_ Artist_ Dean Stanton

Crescent Heights Community

Engagement Initiative 

in partnership with Crescent Heights Community Association. 

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From 2015 to 2019, I served as an embedded artist and resident in an inner-city Calgary neighbourhood, tasked with enhancing community engagement and addressing challenges related to safety, connection, and isolation. My work with Crescent Heights Community Association centred on community cultural development, initiating and experimenting with various arts and cultural initiatives rooted in community-led models.

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Throughout these years, a primary goal was to increase community involvement, pride, and safety. We developed and implemented several key projects, including:

  • Micro-Grants for Placemaking: Empowering residents through the development and distribution of small grants for their own placemaking and gathering projects.

  • Placemaking Workshops: Facilitating educational workshops to equip residents with the skills for creating low-cost community activations.

  • Winter Traffic Safety Festival: Conceptualizing and executing a community festival specifically focused on raising awareness and promoting safety during winter.

  • Summer Neighbourhood Celebration: Creating a vibrant summer festival that celebrated local identity through a diverse range of community-led activities.

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A central inquiry, "What is the function of a community association?", directly led to the establishment of the Village Hub. This storefront presence was designed to enhance the association's visibility and accessibility significantly. The Village Hub quickly became a dynamic center, hosting a three-month calendar of resident-driven programming that included children's art classes, yoga sessions, public art workshops, and community meetings.

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Beyond these initiatives, other significant projects under my involvement included a large-scale Community Gateway Mural, strategic partnerships with the City of Calgary on the Main Street Redesign, a series of impactful resident-led intersection mural designs, the innovative Town Crier Announcement Wagon, and the popular community-building East vs. West Crescent Heights Waterfight.

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My work during this period underscores a profound commitment to leveraging creative practices as a powerful tool for strengthening community bonds and enriching the local environment.

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