Building on the Bow, A Retrospective: photography by Steve Speer

Building on the Bow, A Retrospective revisits one of Calgary’s most significant urban photography projects through a focused selection of thirteen large-scale works.

Printed as archival carbon images on handmade Japanese Washi paper, the photographs are drawn from Speer’s landmark Building on the Bow publication, developed in collaboration with the Building Owners and Managers Association of Alberta (BOMA) in 2011–12. Together, the works trace Calgary’s commercial core — its architecture, skyline, and evolving relationship with the Bow River — through a lens marked by precision, structure, and restraint.

More than a study of buildings, the exhibition reflects on how a city understands itself through the spaces it constructs. With careful attention to form and composition, the photographs offer a quiet meditation on growth, identity, and the shifting contours of the urban landscape.

A featured festival exhibition, Building on the Bow, A Retrospective will be accompanied by a public artist conversation, and curated walkthroughs designed to engage audiences across both art and design communities.