Devonian Gardens Becomes Permanent Home for Local Craftsman's Wood Carvings
The artistic legacy of Calgary craftsman Tom Ward has found its permanent home. After more than four decades on display at Devonian Gardens, an official agreement was signed on Friday, March 6, 2026, securing the public space as the lasting exhibition site for thirty-four hand-carved wooden masks created by the talented local artist.
A Forty-Year Legacy Formalized
For over forty years, visitors to Devonian Gardens have enjoyed these remarkable wooden creations, but until now, their presence relied on informal arrangements. Carmen Hindson, Centre City Operations Manager for Calgary's Parks and Open Spaces, explained the significance of the new agreement. "We were loaned these carvings based on a handshake deal that we are formalizing today," Hindson stated during the signing ceremony attended by members of the Ward family.
The formal agreement was signed by Tom Ward's son, Tim Ward, who expressed his family's appreciation for the Gardens as the ideal venue for his father's work. "I'm honoured to help secure the Devonian Gardens as a permanent home for these enchanting carvings for as long as the Ward family would like to have them on display," Hindson added, emphasizing the city's commitment to preserving this cultural treasure.
The Artist Behind the Carvings
Tom Ward, who passed away in 1984, was a city employee by profession but an artist at heart. From the late 1960s until his death, he created more than two hundred wood carvings in his backyard studio, working primarily with pine and spruce burls. Remarkably, Ward never sold his artwork, instead choosing to loan pieces to organizations for public enjoyment or gift them to family and friends.
"If he really liked you, you got one," Tim Ward recalled with a smile. "So there's a lot of households that have them." The thirty-four masks now permanently housed at Devonian Gardens represent some of Ward's largest and most significant works.
A Unique Artistic Vision
What made Tom Ward's carvings particularly distinctive was his approach to the wood itself. A self-taught artist who drew inspiration from various wood carving traditions, Ward developed his own unique style that incorporated the natural characteristics of the wood into his creations.
"He would look at a piece of wood and already see the creation he was going to make," Tim explained. "When he carved you could watch him take the face out of that piece of wood." Ward specifically used the knots and burls in the wood to form the facial features of his masks, creating pieces that seemed to emerge naturally from the material itself.
Family Memories and Community Connections
The signing ceremony brought back vivid memories for the Ward family. Tim recalled spending time with his father in the backyard studio, "drinking rum, pondering life and trying to figure out what we were going to do with these carvings." He added, "They were special and needed a special place."
Tim also remembered accompanying his father on winter wood-gathering expeditions when he was a teenager, traveling outside the city to collect materials for the carvings. The backyard studio itself, built with help from friends and neighbors, served as more than just a workspace—it became a community gathering spot where people would come to watch Ward create and share in the artistic process.
A Fitting Permanent Home
The journey to this permanent arrangement began in 1986, two years after Tom Ward's death, when the city first approached the family about displaying the carvings at Devonian Gardens. "The family was thrilled and humbled," Tim remembered. "Then as now, we could not imagine a better venue for these to be stored and shared."
With the formal agreement now in place, future generations of Calgarians and visitors will continue to experience the remarkable artistry of Tom Ward. The thirty-four wooden masks will remain as a testament to one man's creative vision and his family's dedication to sharing that vision with the public in a space that has become their natural home.
