Contemporary art. Historic surroundings

The Art Gallery of Calgary is a proud part of the Stephen Avenue National Historic District. Designated in July 2005 by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, the National Historic District is located on Stephen Avenue between Centre Street and 2nd Street S.W. It is one of only three National Historic Districts in Canada.

Between 1880 and the early 1900s, Calgary blossomed from a frontier town into a booming city. Stephen Avenue was its bustling main street, strategically located just a block away from the Canadian Pacific Railway station. Entrepreneurs flocked to the Avenue to build commercial blocks of distinctive sandstone and red brick.

The AGC occupies two of these heritage buildings. No. 117 Stephen Avenue was originally built as a butcher shop around 1903 for the Calgary Cattle Company, founded by a group that included Sir James Lougheed, Calgary’s first lawyer and Alberta’s first Senator. It is one of only a few red brick buildings among the sandstone buildings on Stephen Avenue. In 1905, the building was purchased by Patrick Burns, Alberta’s most successful beef producer, and it was later renamed the Pioneer Meat Market. Painted signs for the Pioneer Market can still be seen on the outside walls from the alley behind the AGC. These signs date from between 1908 and 1920. In 1905, space in this building was also rented by Bob Edwards, the colourful publisher of The Calgary Eye Opener.

No. 119 Stephen Avenue was built in 1901-1902 as a grocery store and commercial outlet for the Calgary Milling Company, which had been established in 1898. Owners included Isaac Kerr and Peter Prince (also partners in the Eau Claire and Bow River Lumber Co.).

Both stores were later occupied by a number of tenants. They were first joined together in the 1960s, when the clothing and fabric store known as “Silk-0-Lina” expanded from No. 119 into No. 117 and covered the upper façades with stucco, aluminum, and glass.

In 1997, the joined buildings were sold to the Art Gallery of Calgary. The exteriors of both buildings were restored to their original appearance, and the interiors were completely refurbished as contemporary gallery space. The AGC opened in this new home in 2000.

Today, Stephen Avenue remains downtown Calgary’s business and retail hub. Some 30 historic buildings have been restored. They house a vibrant mix of shops, galleries and restaurants, and provide an evocative link with Calgary’s colourful past.