Exposure Photography Festival invites you to take part in A Ritual of Wishing on July 4th at Historic Firehall No. 1 in Calgary! A Ritual of Wishing is a free community cyanotype project led by artists Cy Yang-Smith and Leia Guo. Community members of all ages are invited to create a cyanotype, a photographic image made using sunlight and water, as part of a growing collective artwork.
Drawing inspiration from Yoko Ono's event scores, the project invites participants to reflect on a personal wish and translate it into a unique sunprint using found objects, pre-made stencils, and natural materials. No artistic experience is required, and all materials will be provided.
Throughout the day, hundreds of individual cyanotypes will be created and contributed to a larger installation. Following the event, these works will be assembled into a large-scale collaborative artwork, which will be exhibited at the Historic Firehall No. 1 from July 27–August 7. The installation will serve as a portrait of the wishes, creativity, and perspectives of the people who helped create it.
A Ritual of Wishing
Date & Time:
Saturday, July 4, 2026
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location:
Historic Firehall No. 1
104 6 Ave SE, Calgary AB
Meet The Artists:
Cy Yang-Smith is a visual artist and photographer based in Alberta on Treaty 7 territory. Working across print, soft sculpture, photography, and text, their practice explores cultural iconography, storytelling, personal narrative, and the complexities of vulnerability and intimacy.
Leia Guo is a photographer and glass artist based in Moh'kinsstis/Calgary, Alberta. Her practice investigates materiality, image-making, and the relationship between contemporary and historical photographic techniques through photography, glass, and alternative processes.
Together, Cy and Leia have created A Ritual of Wishing as an invitation to slow down, make something by hand, and contribute to a shared act of imagination and community-building.
Sponsors:
This project is presented by the Exposure Photography Festival with support from the City of Calgary. Made by Marcus, The Camera Store, and Neat Film Lab also help to make this free public event possible.
