22-year-old Calgary artist Lloyd Templeton wins 2024 Stampede poster competition

The winning poster of the 2024 Calgary Stampede Poster Competition is by 22-year-old Lloyd Templeton

A poster that celebrates the relationship of the Calgary Stampede and the First Nations people of Treaty 7 territory was unveiled Friday as the official poster of the 2024 event.

"Wichispa Skadabi Odaginabi" ("Celebrating the Calgary Stampede"), which offers a unique view of Stampede Park and was created by 22-year-old Calgarian Lloyd Templeton, was revealed at a press event.

The poster features Stoney Nakoda Tipi Holder Duane Mark riding in the foreground, while a diverse group of parade participants and spectators form a landscape evoking the parade route downtown in the background.

Mark collaborated with Templeton and the two formed a friendship.

Artist Lloyd Templeton (R) with Duane Mark (L), who is featured in the poster

"My memories of the parade from when I was a little boy are vivid," said Lloyd, who is a recent Alberta University of the Arts graduate. "I can feel the warmth of the rising sun, the anticipation, and how the spectacle of horses filling the city streets evoked awe in me. I felt very much a part of the community and the celebration.

"I hope to evoke similar warm memories in others, or spark a desire in them to experience that awe for themselves."

Lloyd receives the $10,000 Dustin Peers Memorial Scholarship, funded by the Brandon Flock Foundation, which also provides another $10,000 to the top eight finishers in the competition.

"The Stampede has always been a place where First Nations people of Treaty 7 could speak their languages, share their traditions, and have ceremonies," said Stampede president and board chair Will Osler. "To have the 2024 poster so beautifully capture that relationship and the importance of continuing to celebrate language and culture is incredibly meaningful, and a representation of what the Calgary Stampede stands for."