The Family of Man — Mario Armengol, Calgary
Mario Armengol · 1967; in Calgary since 1968 · Calgary
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ / Wikimedia Commons (CC0), as published on Street Art Utopia. Full frame.
The Family of Man, also called the Brotherhood of Mankind, is a ring of ten nude aluminium figures, each about 6.5 metres tall, in downtown Calgary. Spanish-born artist Mario Armengol made them for the British Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal; after the fair they were bought, given to the City of Calgary and set up in 1968 beside the Calgary Board of Education building. Many people were shocked by them at first, CBC reports; they became a city landmark and the school board’s logo. Source Source Source Checked
Standing Mar 2025 — LiveWire Calgary reported on 3 March 2025 that the statue stands in its park beside the former Calgary Board of Education building, while a possible move was discussed. Source Reported
💡 4 things to know
- Made for Expo 67At Expo 67 the figures were part of the British Pavilion exhibit Britain in the World, shown beside what Britain presented as its gifts to the world, such as language and law. Source Reported
- The circle was an accidentAccording to CBC, the figures arrived in crates without assembly instructions, so city staff chose the circle; curator Katherine Ylitalo says the relationships people read into them were nothing the artist ever thought of. Source Reported
- They stayed when the board leftIn 2011 the Calgary Board of Education wanted to take the statues to its new building, but the City owns them and kept them in place. Source Reported
- A possible moveIn 2025 Contemporary Calgary renderings showed the statue in a planned park by the old Centennial Planetarium; a 2010 land use rule protects its current site and nothing was decided. Source Reported
📍 Where it is
Corner of 1st Street and 6th Avenue S.E., beside the former Calgary Board of Education building, downtown Calgary, Alberta. Source Reported
Opens a map search for the site; we have not checked Street View for it.
🗓️ Sightings
- 20112 Mar
School board moves out; City keeps statues in place · Global News
- 20156 Sep
City conservation check finds figures stable and in good condition
- 201810 Apr
Profiled as Calgary public art · Daily Hive
- 202319 Jun
Photographed on a downtown Calgary walking tour
- 20253 Mar
In its park beside the former CBE building; possible move reported · LiveWire Calgary
Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
Calgary Board of Education to leave iconic symbol behind
“The statues belong to the city”
CBE spokesperson Ted Flitton on why the statues stayed.
Stable Footing for the Brotherhood of Mankind
“The examination proved that the figures are stable in the ground and in good condition.”
Result of the City’s conservation inspection.
Possibility of iconic Family of Man statute move to Contemporary Calgary
“Nothing was really consummated at the time.”
Coun. Terry Wong on the 2024 talks about moving the statue.
✅ The facts
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- CBC News — The Family of Man
- Daily Hive — 10 April 2018
- Gateway Gazette — Stable Footing for the Brotherhood of Mankind — 6 September 2015
- Global News — 2 March 2011
- LiveWire Calgary — 3 March 2025
- Edebock blog — post of 20 June 2023 (walk on 19 June)
- Hero image: Bernard Spragg. NZ / Wikimedia Commons (CC0), as published on Street Art Utopia (WAU media #12913); the share image is a 16:9 version of it with blurred sides (WAU media #12914).
Last checked: 13 November 2026 · How we verify art