New Murals by Alex Kwong to Transform RiverWalk as Cassie Suche’s Touch Traces Bids Farewell
CMLC welcomes local artist Alex Kwong as the next voice in Art in the Public Realm program, marking a new chapter of storytelling, community connection, and creative exploration
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) is pleased to announce local muralist Alex Kwong was selected by a volunteer jury as the next artist to be featured along Jack and Jean Leslie RiverWalk as part of the organization’s Art in the Public Realm placemaking initiative.
Kwong’s work, for which the concept is currently under development, will replace the beloved Touch Traces artwork by Cassie Suche, which has adorned the bridge abutments and building surfaces along Jack & Jean Leslie RiverWalk for the last three years.
“Since 2010, we have had the privilege of showcasing five incredible local artists/artist teams in three-year cycles along RiverWalk in East Village,” said Anna Lake, Director, Marketing, CMLC. “CMLC’s Art in the Public Realm program is a key component of the East Village Master Plan, aimed at creating engaging spaces that, surprise, delight and provoke connection and memorable interaction for residents and visitors. As we bid farewell to Touch Traces, we will celebrate the countless moments of connection it sparked, while making way for an exciting new concept that will reflect the character of the neighbourhood and engage the community in a completely different way."
Touch Traces is a series of contemporary and abstract murals created from more than 640 fingerprints collected from East Village community members. The resulting artwork was printed and installed along ten bridge abutments, and includes flowing imagery made from the fingerprint patterns, reminiscent of the river that runs alongside the site.
Suche says the temporary nature of the RiverWalk art is one of the elements that drew her to the opportunity, as it enables artists and the public to interpret the space in new ways. “The fact that the art is temporary invites a different kind of relationship, encouraging people to embrace change and let go. That kind of impermanence feels important,” she says. “Temporary work is an invaluable opportunity to test ideas, take creative risks, and learn from the work in a public context. I love the idea of art in the city turning over more often, and I’m excited to see how others approach the project in years ahead.”
Touch Traces will be removed in early May, at which point Alex Kwong will begin his work in the community. Kwong’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in storytelling and connection, with his murals reflecting the identities, histories, and experiences of the communities they’re created in. To support the development of his artistic concept, Kwong’s engagement with community is currently underway, and explores individual connections to the Bow and Elbow Rivers from a cultural, historical and recreational lens.
“The rivers hold such meaning and significance to so many Calgarians, and I want to explore what that looks like from a diversity of perspectives,” Kwong explains of his process. “Each person I’ve spoken to has a unique story to tell, yet a common thread runs through them all: the river and its surroundings sustain us—emotionally, culturally, physically, and spiritually. That powerful connection is what I aim to reflect in the artwork along RiverWalk.”
Calgarians can bid farewell to beloved East Village artwork, Touch Traces, with a walk led by artist Cassie Suche on Friday, May 2 from 12-1pm as part of the 2025 Jane’s Walk series. Alex Kwong’s work in the community will kick-off on May 16, with a public concert in the Bounce Games Park featuring local rapper and activist, DREZUS. The new artworks are expected to be unveiled in late June 2025.
