The BARTWALL
(Beddington Art Wall)

BARTWALL was created by me, Brady Adkins (BHCA board member, secretary, and Ice Rink Coordinator) in the spring of 2023.

Version 1 of Bartwall was a temporary, proof of concept, built from repurposed election materials provided by Amanda Chapman, the Calgary-Beddington MLA. I proposed the idea to the BHCA board and was met with skepticism. The Graffiti art form is associated with vandalism and the last thing the BHCA wants to support is increased vandalism. But the board lent me enough rope to hang myself with.

Graffiti in not necessarily vandalism, Graffiti is a unique urban art form that gives voice to the streets. A few years ago I began researching graffiti, trying to understand why such awesome artists would risk fines and prison to paint free murals. I learned about train painting on the east coast, how this trend spread to the west coast, and eventually went international with major European cities becoming graffiti meccas today. With so much concrete and un-tapped artistic talent in Calgary, I saw an opportunity. So I bought some paint and created an open invite to local artists.

JP Thibodeau at Story Book Theater, always eager to support an artistic vision, permitted the project on the Story Book Theater/Beddington Theater Arts Center property. I built a temporary structure to avoid requiring permits, and repaired it several times as summer prairie storms tried their best to rip the wall to shreds. FYI, a giant temporary walls built of 2x4's and plastic sheets makes a wonderful sail. 

The results were fantastic. The first day the wall was up, an art teacher on vacation from the east coast, visiting a friend, painted a giant peacock to kick the project off. Fantastic validation after a full day of building the thing with a couple super hard working volunteers.

Over the summer, artists of varying skill levels used acrylic paint, lip chap, chalk, stickers, and of course spray paint to decorate the installation. Vandalism in the area decreased and positive feedback from community members moved in. The bright color and creative expression became a point of interest. It filled a need allowing local artists an open invite to a public exhibit.

I knew the wall couldn't withstand a Canadian winter, so it was dismantled in the fall. I was far from ready to let that be the end. 

As the Beddington outdoor rink coordinator, I have a special relationship with the BTAC Parthenon which houses hoses, snow blowers and other materials for ice making. The Parthenon has a history of being tagged with graffiti. I figured why not promote the graffiti? Challenge vandals to become artists. Blank space to become art. Concrete to become a gallery. BHCA and JP were only too happy to expand the project and I assumed the position of censor in chief, ensuring common decency was adhered to, and giving Bartwall a permanent home. 

The Bartall has become one of my favorite BHCA projects. I love seeing new pieces, and often head up with a few can of paint to work an idea out. It's a great place to chill, for me and a buddy to hang when we haven't seen each other for a while. It's a reason to keep artistic pursuits in focus and sketch up a new concept. 

What's next for Bartwall? Hopefully the movement grows. Maybe an formal market/show, bringing out the contributing artists to meet community members and sell original pieces? Maybe expand to other walls in the city? Many walls in the city collect graffiti. How many would benefit from thBartwall treatment? Evolve a tag into a throw, a throw into a piece, and a piece into a full burner. Let's put this place on the map!

 - Brady Adkins, BHCA Board Member, Secretary, Ice rink Coordinator, Beddington Community Member.