Ken Hacke - Artist

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Calgary, AB
Ken Hacke - Artist

Ken is an artist from Calgary, AB. Ken creates large scale art installations.

12/17/2025

EverBlue Gateway. A large-scale illuminated arch, currently installed at Calgary International Airport.

Where do you think it should go next?

12/05/2025

Yesterday was a huge day.

We completed the install of the EverBlue Gateway at Calgary International Airport. The piece is over 16 feet wide and 13 feet high with nearly 2,000 mapped, addressed, and interactive pixels. It was designed to look good during the day and at night while celebrating Calgary’s story. This feels like a real step toward long term public art. I love temporary festivals, but I have been pushing toward larger, lasting installations, and this is a move in that direction.

This piece is a collaboration with for RISE UP, celebrating the new Blue Sky branding. Huge thanks to the team at for bringing everything together.

Big thanks to:
Mason .bass for fabrication, welding, and installation
Hugh VanDyke for tech support
Addison for the final push
Brad Brickwell for the shop space
Everyone who helped on the harder days
And thank you Calgary for continuing to support the arts.

The piece will be at international arrivals all winter, welcoming travelers. While it is there, I will be looking for its next placement. I hope it travels, opens new doors, and leads to more opportunities. It has taken years of work to reach this point, and I am excited for what comes next.

More content soon. For now, I am off to the beach for a much needed break.

11/23/2025

The critters had a big weekend.
Friday night was Light Up Okotoks, then straight to Winterval in Edmonton on Saturday.

Two cities, two crowds, all good vibes. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and shared a moment with the glow. ✨

10/19/2025

The critters had another great night in Jasper as part of the Dark Sky Festival. Hoping as the week goes on, the clouds clear so we can capture some epic shots of stars and glowing critters together.

10/18/2025

Achievement unlocked.
Starting to get booked in the mountain towns! 🌲

I’m setting up in Jasper for the Dark Sky Festival, and while I’m here, an email just came in from a music festival in Banff.

I always thought the critters belonged in the mountains. Maybe they agree.
Now I’m wondering what it’ll take to reach the other resort towns.

Exciting times. It’ll be interesting to see where this leads.

10/13/2025

The critters enjoyed their lakeside adventure.
Nice to see them light up the night as the sun went down. A glowing addition to this beautiful backyard gathering.

10/05/2025

Winter's first sign: The forest guides are on International Avenue! 🦌💫 Catch them before they migrate to Jasper for the Dark Sky Festival.

09/26/2025

🎃✨ Gord the Galactic has landed at this year’s Pumpkins After Dark in Calgary!

Cody Chancellor and I first brought this giant glowing pumpkin to life last year — and now it’s here in Calgary with a brand-new lighting system.

Big thanks to Mason Armstrong, Gavin Wall, and Hugh VanDyke for jumping in and helping upgrade and set it up just in time for the show. Couldn’t have done it without the crew.

Come walk inside, get lost in the lights, and meet Gord for yourself. 🌌

08/29/2025

Frogs are back from their spa retreat and ready to hang out on 4th St!

I had the pleasure of restoring the iconic "Hanging Out" frog sculpture. 🐸✨

This larger than life installation was created by Calgary artist Peter Smith in 1994. For over 30 years the frogs have braved Calgary weather and countless interactions, becoming a true landmark.

This round they got the works: stripped to bare steel, limbs adjusted and rewelded, and a fresh new paint job. Hopefully ready for another 30 years of hanging out.

Big thanks to the 4th Street BRZ for trusting me with this restoration, and to Phoenix James and Mason Armstrong for helping bring them back.

If you were missing them, fear not. They’re back, shinier, happier, and ready for your selfies. Swipe to see more photos, then come down and get a picture with this icon of the Calgary art scene.

07/11/2025

It’s been a wild stretch in the shop lately. I am a month behind, and missing summer shows, but only because there are so many cool builds in progress.

It’s a weird time of transition. I’m edging into more commissions and permanent installs, while still trying to carve out time for my own pieces so I have more work available to rent. Right now it feels like I’m working three full-time jobs, designer, fabricator, and manager, and all I want is to be outside enjoying the summer.

Looking at this photo, I can see the momentum in all three commissions, while my own build is still stuck on the computer screen.

Finding balance is the hard part. Until then, I’ll just keep creating as fast as I can and trust it all works out.

07/03/2025

And so it begins.
After months of designing, and planning, I finally get to start welding this piece together. Time to see if the digital model holds up in the real world.

I’ve been pushing myself to grow, learning more CAD, upgrading the build process, and outsourcing laser cutting to some proper machines. Now comes the real test: do all the pieces actually fit?

Let’s find out.

Address

1720 Raddison Drive SE
Calgary, AB
T2A1Z8

Website

http://www.kenhackearts.ca/

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