Alberta Treasury Branch (Private Banking 1859) Dome - Calgary, AB, Canada
N 51° 02.735 W 114° 04.066
11U E 705532 N 5658985
The dome at National Bank's Private Banking 1859 branch in Calgary has eight portraits on the inside. Painted by Marianna Gartner in 1996, the portraits show Calgary's diversity, while their backgrounds cycle from sunrise to night.
Waymark Code: WM1BD56
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 01/21/2025
Views: 0
The dome at National Bank's Private Banking 1859 branch in Calgary has eight portraits on the inside.
This building was constructed in 1996 to be the main Calgary location of Alberta Treasury Branch (ATB). It features a dome with cupola at the northwest corner, where the main entrance is. ATB was originally a public financial institution operated by the provincial government. Started by the Social Credit government in 1938 to advance their novel monetary policy, ATB soon became an alternative to the unstable banks of that time, taking savings deposits and making loans.
In 2002, Alberta Treasury Branch was renamed ATB Financial, and while the provincial still guarantees its deposits, it is operated as an independent Crown corporation rather than as a government branch.
The dome mural by artist Marianna Gartner (b. 1963) is based on her family photos, vintage photos from flea markets, and mug shots from Calgary Police Service archives. The portraits show Calgary's diversity, while their backgrounds cycle from sunrise to night.
After ATB Financial moved out of the building, it was leased to National Bank's Private Banking 1859 division in 2016. The property manager sent the artist an email saying that the dome mural would be painted over for the new tenant. After a swift public backlash, National Bank's president said that there had been no plans to cover the mural, and it remains untouched.
REFERENCES and FURTHER READING
Volmers, Eric. "Calgary's 'dome' artwork by internationally renowned artist Marianna Gartner at risk of being painted over," 12 May 2016, Calgary Herald (
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Volmers, Eric. "Dome mural will be preserved, says new tenant of Stephen Avenue ATB building," 12 May 2016, Calgary Herald (
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Wikipedia: ATB Financial - History (
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Wikipedia: Marianna Gartner (
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Galerie Michael Haas: Marianna Gartner (
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Marianna Gartner official website (
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