5 Questions to Ask Before Commissioning a Mural in Calgary

Commissioning a mural is one of the most significant creative decisions a property owner or business can make. Unlike purchasing existing artwork, a mural commission is a collaborative process that produces something entirely new, a work conceived specifically for your wall, your neighbourhood, your audience. It is also, for most people, unfamiliar territory. The vocabulary is different. The timeline is different. The relationship between client and artist operates by different rules than a standard vendor engagement.

Having worked on mural projects across Calgary, from commercial facades in Kensington to interior installations in the Beltline, we have seen how the right questions at the outset transform the entire trajectory of a project. These five are the ones that matter most.

1. What Story Should This Wall Tell?

This is the foundational question, and it is worth spending more time on than any other. A mural without narrative intention is merely a large painting. A mural with a clear story becomes a landmark.

The story does not need to be literal. It might be the history of a building, the identity of a neighbourhood, the values of a company, or an abstract evocation of place. What matters is that there is a governing idea, a reason this particular image belongs on this particular wall. In Calgary, the most resonant murals are those that engage with the specificity of their context: the prairie light, the geological drama of the foothills, the cultural complexity of a city that sits on Treaty 7 territory.

Before approaching an artist, spend time with the wall itself. Observe who passes it, at what time of day, from what angles. Consider the adjacent architecture. Think about what is missing from the streetscape and what story the neighbourhood needs told. The best briefs we receive are those that describe a feeling or an ambition rather than a specific image. The image is the artist's job. The intention is yours.

2. How Will Calgary's Climate Affect the Work?

This is the question that separates Calgary mural projects from those in milder climates. Our city subjects outdoor artwork to extraordinary environmental stress: winter temperatures that can plunge below minus thirty, chinook winds that swing temperatures by twenty degrees in hours, intense UV exposure at altitude during summer months, and freeze-thaw cycles that test the bond between paint and substrate dozens of times per season.

An experienced Calgary mural artist will account for these conditions in material selection, surface preparation, and application technique. But it is worth understanding the basics yourself. Exterior murals in Calgary require high-quality acrylic paints rated for UV resistance, a properly prepared and primed substrate, and a clear protective topcoat with UV inhibitors. The maintenance schedule for a Calgary exterior mural differs from one in Vancouver or Toronto, and your artist should provide a clear plan for year-round care.

Interior murals face a different set of considerations: humidity levels, proximity to kitchen exhaust or HVAC vents, direct sunlight through windows. These are technical details, but they directly affect the longevity of the finished work. Ask about them early.

3. What Is the Approval Process?

Mural commissions involve more stakeholders than most people anticipate. Beyond the obvious parties, the property owner and the artist, there may be tenants, building managers, business improvement area boards, heritage committees, and municipal permitting bodies to consider. In Calgary, exterior murals in certain districts may require development permits, and murals on heritage-designated buildings involve additional review.

Establishing the approval chain at the outset prevents the most common source of project delays: late-stage objections from parties who were not consulted early enough. A professional mural studio will guide you through this process. At KINN Studios, we typically begin with a stakeholder mapping exercise, identifying everyone whose input or approval is required and building a review schedule that keeps the project moving without bypassing anyone.

The design approval process itself usually involves two to three rounds of concept development, progressing from rough sketches to scaled colour renderings. Clarity about the number of revision rounds, the decision-making authority at each stage, and the criteria for approval prevents the kind of open-ended feedback loops that exhaust both budgets and creative energy.

4. How Will the Mural Relate to Its Surroundings?

A mural does not exist in isolation. It enters into dialogue with the street, the building, the light, the neighbouring structures, and the people who move through the space. The most successful mural commissions are those that treat this relationship as a design constraint rather than an afterthought.

Consider the scale. A mural on a three-storey facade in Calgary's Beltline operates at a fundamentally different register than one in a ground-floor retail interior. The former must read from across four lanes of traffic; the latter from arm's length. Colour palette, line weight, compositional complexity, and level of detail all shift accordingly.

Consider the adjacencies. What colour is the neighbouring building? Is there signage competing for attention? Are there trees that will partially obscure the wall in summer? Is there a bus stop that positions viewers at a particular angle? These practical considerations shape the design as much as any aesthetic preference.

And consider the temporal dimension. A mural on a north-facing wall in Calgary receives very different light than one facing south or west. The warm tones that glow on a south wall at golden hour may appear flat and cold on a perpetually shaded north face. An experienced artist accounts for this, but it is worth discussing explicitly.

5. What Happens After the Paint Dries?

The completion of a mural is not the end of the relationship. It is a transition from creation to stewardship. And the terms of that stewardship should be agreed before the first brushstroke.

Key questions include: Who is responsible for ongoing maintenance? What does a maintenance schedule look like? How will graffiti or vandalism be addressed? Does the artist retain any rights over the image, such as reproduction rights or the right to be consulted before modifications? Is there a plan for eventual decommissioning if the building changes use?

In Calgary, where outdoor murals face aggressive weather, a maintenance agreement is not optional. It is essential. Most professional mural artists will offer an annual inspection and touch-up service, and this should be discussed and documented as part of the initial commission.

There is also the question of documentation. A well-photographed mural commission, captured at various stages and in different seasons, creates a valuable archive for both the property owner and the artist. It also provides content for the kind of storytelling that extends the mural's impact beyond its physical location, through case studies, press coverage, and social media.

The Value of Getting It Right

A mural is a long-term commitment. Unlike a gallery exhibition or a seasonal window display, it persists. It weathers. It becomes part of the collective memory of a place. That permanence is both its power and its responsibility. The time invested in asking the right questions at the outset pays dividends for years: in a work that ages gracefully, that continues to resonate with its audience, and that repays the courage it takes to give a wall over to art.

Calgary is a city in the midst of redefining its visual identity. Every new mural contributes to that project. The more thoughtfully each one is conceived, the richer the city becomes. If you are considering a project like this, we would love to hear about it.