Local Stars Take Center Stage for BUMP 2024
Monday September 2, 2024
This year, we had the honor of showcasing 39 talented visual artists, 27 of whom hail from Calgary. Among them, we were thrilled to welcome back Katie Green, who first joined BUMP in 2018. Katie’s return symbolizes not just her own artistic growth, but also the evolution of BUMP Festival and Calgary’s ever-expanding appetite for new narratives and unique artistry.
We also celebrated the work of Kat Simmers, who contributed BUMP’s first Pride mural in partnership with Blakes & Calgary Queer Arts Society. This mural stands tall as a beacon of inclusion, capturing the spirit of celebration that defines our community. New to the BUMP family, Calgary artists Stuart Teekasingh and Métis artist Waposhpyii brought their powerful voices to the festival. Stuart’s mural “SOLSTICE” on 17th Avenue SW captures the essence of Calgary’s seasons in vibrant colors, turning a once-dark alley into a bright, welcoming space. Waposhpyii’s mural at 812 11 Ave SW tells a deeply personal story of Indigenous resilience through the imagery of a Hare and the Indian Paintbrush Flower, offering a visual narrative that speaks to the strength and identity rooted in cultural preservation.
We were delighted to see Harvey Nichol return to BUMP as a solo muralist. After his work with us in 2022 as a ROAD WORKS artist and mural assistant, Harvey has come into his own with “Pilandok and the Crocodiles” at Establishment Brewing Company. This intricate mural, inspired by Southeast Asian folklore, reflects the themes of resilience and ingenuity—qualities that resonate deeply with the people of Calgary. A Calgary-Toronto duo also joined BUMP this year, with Earbugz Collective. Michelle Ku from our own city joined forces with Toronto’s Wenting Li to paint a magical energy portal inviting characters from different worlds to cross paths, symbolizing the diverse life experiences that intersect in Calgary’s ever-evolving landscape.
Way up on the High Park Rooftop Calgary based GRAVY brought a fresh, unique graffiti writing style to the five new graffiti pieces that were painted in this location this August. 21 Calgary based visual artists painted as a part of our 2024 Road Works program earlier in the summer bringing to life 60+ jersey barriers that are installed across various neighborhoods in the city. These artists are:
Katie Allard / Shuo Liu / Mayi Mosaver / test tube puppy / Vanja Kragulj / Maxwell Webber / Breehound / Orana / Diamond Dino / Kate Beck / Ventura Jones / Mitch Tukkimaki – Verwar Industries / Day Pajarillo / La Güita / Hal / Elucious / Macanjy / Kaitlynn Copithorne / Lusine Manukyan / No-Body:) / Tower
Honoring Calgary’s Underground Music Culture
One of the most exciting aspects of BUMP Festival 2024 was our continued commitment to celebrating Calgary’s underground culture. The TRINITY KIKI BALL & RAVE, which closed the festival, was a landmark event that drew over 700 attendees. Co-presented with Vogue YYC and Ambien, this electrifying gathering highlighted the power and resilience of Calgary’s QTBIPOC community. It was more than just an event; it was a fusion of identity, artistry, and community, showing the world just how vibrant and edgy Calgary’s music and performing arts scene has become.
Our High Park Party brought together five fantastic Calgary-based electronic artists for back-to-back sets, showcasing the diverse sounds of our city’s emerging tastemakers and DJs. Moving between a myriad of cutting edge genres, DJ’s MRBEEFYBUNZ, SWYM, TIARRUHH, BABYTEETH.EXE and Jonathan Crane brought our rooftop to life.
Our City’s Brightest Public Arts Voices
The cherry on top of BUMP Festival this year was introducing the Urban Art Conference, a two-day event that drew over 400 attendees and set a new standard for discussions on the role of public art in urban spaces. The conference featured thought-provoking panels with leading voices from Alberta’s design & arts scene, including Keli Pollock, Shauna Thompson, RUST MAGIC and more who explored various topics including public art as a tool for urban transformation, the challenges and opportunities of branding a place, the meaning of art in a turbulent world and how public art might pierce through the noise to create moments of revolution and change.
Looking back we are thrilled that fourteen of our 2024 Conference speakers were all from Calgary! A massive thank you to: Su Ying Strang, Jonny Hehr, Jasmin Palardy, Alana Bartol Shauna Thompson, Dawn Van Der Shoot, Harvey Nichol, Trevor Stark, Dan Cardinal, Anna Lake, Edward Campbell, Keli Pollock, Kat Simmers and Mikhail Miller for representing our city’s fantastic public realm with your thoughtful conversations and passionate ideas.
