Image via LisaBourgeault/Shutterstock
Alberta has a lot of weird sculptures, point blank.
From the World’s Largest Cowboy Boot to the World’s Largest Perogy, I don’t think we can get any larger. From Edmonton to Calgary and everywhere beyond, there are so many public art sculptures with a whole lot of meaning and not a lot of sense. I mean, I didn’t even realize the Talus Dome in Edmonton had a name for many years of my life — we’d just called it “The Balls.”
We’ve rounded up some of the weirdest and most interesting public art installations across the province, just for your pleasure.
Affectionately nicknamed “The Balls,” the Talus Dome was created in 2012 on the side of the Whitemud.
This public art sculpture is not only meant to be a figure in the landscape, but also to reflect it. Made up of nearly 1,000 handcrafted stainless steel spheres, the Talus Dome takes on different colours as the seasons change with its reflective nature.
Where: Edmonton, Alta.
I’ve been to The Big Boot myself, and let me tell you — it is big.
Right smack in the city of Edmonton is this giant, hard-to-miss cowboy boot. It went up in the 1980s when the building next to it (now the One Stop Biker Shop) was named Western Boot Factory.
Where: Edmonton, Alta.
Located right on Glendon’s Perogy Street, you won’t miss this iconic sculpture even if you wanted to — it’s a giant perogy with a fork in it.
Unveiled in 1991, this perogy sculpture honours the rich history of immigrants coming to Alberta, sharing what is now such a popular dish in Western Canada. Glendon also holds its own perogy festival, as well as many activities throughout the year for visitors.
Where: Glendon, Alta.
The UFO Landing Pad wasn’t built all willy-nilly.
In fact, it was actually part of a much larger celebration. The Canadian Centennial was a year-long celebration in 1967, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. As part of the festivities, this landing pad was erected that year.
In the 1990s, the mayor at the time, Paul Langevin, officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors, now known as the Tourist Information Centre.
Where: St. Paul, Alta.
Okay, imagine this: stalks of wheat, but geese. That’s exactly what this sculpture is: it’s three golden-yellow stalks of wheat, but the wheat is geese. It’s a little ridiculous, but it has a lot of sentiment behind it.
“Migration” was created by a team of artists in recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, right in St. Albert. It’s actually a nod to the rich agricultural scene and the growth and progress of our province through it.
Where: St. Albert, Alta.
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