Calgary Party 50 Lookbook 2023

Photo of Maria Divina Gracia Tanguin-Galura Photographed by: Corrina Walker

2023 Lookbook Message Calgary Party 50 by Maria Galura Creating delightful balloon experiences Magical! It has been 8 years since the party in a bin and 6 since the first balloon art installation. It still is an incredible journey sustained by widest smiles, genuine awe and uplifting spirit from the young and once young.

A big thank you Calgary for the continuous support: for welcoming balloons in family milestones, yearlong community activities and corporate celebrations.

Remarkable highlight of the year was Calgary Party 50’s contribution to Disney + Pixar’s UP in Concert of Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. A trio series of accessible summer balloon experiences for Calgary Downtown Association is also for the books. Lastly, balloons served as thought bubbles in revealing the future of downtown Calgary is an honor. “Now.Near.Far” was the anchor installation for the inaugural festival LobbyFest.

It is also with great joy to share that the biodegradable latex balloons are now subscribed to TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Boxes, turning this as an impact modifier for the flooring industry. It has been 5 years of exploring local options for sustainability and this is an effective option nationally.

Again, cheers to another year of delight from a single balloon to a thousand!

Brookfield Livingston Sales Village Launch - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Crave Cupcakes Calgary, AB Photographed by: Genevieve Renee

Calgary Central Library Five Year Anniversary - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Otafest Wall and Mosaic - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods and Otafest

Disney + Pixar’s UP in Concert Film with live orchestra Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Maria Galura

Beakerhead 10 Years of Weird Strands Above the Rest - DNA Model - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation Pixel Park Launch - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Southgate Pride Activation - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Miles Display

17th Avenue Tomkins Park Sound Testing x Halloween Activation - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Land Rover Royal Oak Grand Opening Mirror Balls Reusable Inflatables with Foil Balloons - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

LobbyFest Now.Near.Far Installation of 5,000 Biodegradable Latex Balloons - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods and Corrina Walker

Calgary Downtown Association Summer Series Balloon Cart Delight Helium Filled Balloons. FREE balloons given for anyone at Stephen Avenue. A guest picks and balloons were inflated on-site. Sponsored by Calgary Downtown Association - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods and Resie Rosario

Chinook Blast Snow Bank and Snow Beer - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Stephanie Lewis Twin’s 5th Birthday Mia and Sophia’s Pastel CandyLand 5th Birthday - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Deserae Evenson Photography

Calgary Downtown Association Summer Series You and Me YYC Collaborative Balloon Build. Calgary Downtown Association sponsored a collaborative balloon build where anyone is welcome to add balloons and create a balloon installation - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Calgary Downtown Association Summer Series Fly High 2.0 bundle of giant Helium balloons. Every passerby was encouraged to hold the balloons for fun. Sponsored by Calgary Downtown Association as a summer activation.

Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Sled Island Sled Alley - Calgary, AB Photographed by: Colin Woods

Red Balloon is the contributed short story to Landed: Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women Published 2022

Red Balloon Maria Divina Gracia Tanguin-Galura

Baguio City, Philippines Filipino Sundays meant early morning mass. But for eight-year-old me, it was the chance to choose a balloon. After the service my father would buy me and my two siblings something from the vendors outside the church. This didn’t happen all the time, so it was a big deal the day I got a red balloon. I tucked away those happy memories and told myself that one day I would have a party shop.

My entrepreneurship journey started early. In my second-grade classroom, I sold candies out of my mother’s olive-green Tupperware sewing kit, the candy sections lined up so colorfully. The white and brown chocolate pillars went quickly, but the purple be pillars were the bestseller. I walked to the market on Saturday morning to shop for the week’s offering. It was fun and made me so happy. Once, my classmate requested lollipops, so I listened. The day my teacher arrived to find everyone with lollipop sticks in their mouths, my business was shut down: it was apparently a major distraction. Lesson 1: Product placement and timing is key.

In high school, I would wake up an hour early to fry beef patties and assemble burgers. I walked to school at 7:15 a.m. carrying a sando bag. At 9:40 a.m. it was recess. I only sold to my classmates until girls from other classrooms lined up in our homeroom. I had many repeat clients. Again, I was told by my teacher to stop. But this time, I was directed to drop the goods at the canteen. They would sell on my behalf, and I’d collect money after school hours. With no commissions.

Lesson 2: When opportunity knocks, open the door and say hello.

In university, I sold balloons and flowers: single balloons on sticks for student organizations; small daisy bouquets for singing grams and sweet nothings I launched potted tulips and sold these to my professors and the dean. In the Philippines, tulips were watered by ice cubes and were a cool Valentine’s Day gift.

I sourced my balloons from Divisoria, Manila, and with them I created huge, bold bouquets. My February was planned around peak sales and my engineering classes. With calculated risk, and to maintain a smooth production schedule, I

would skip a few classes. Lesson 3: Planning, resource alignment and constraint management are key for a high stakes operation.

Upon graduation, my friends thought I would open a party shop. I didn’t. I told myself calculus, operations research and statistical analysis were difficult courses to pass. “Only for me to sell balloons? I don’t think so.”

I started as an apprentice for a semiconductor company doing time study. I went on to become the only female warehouse foreman in the raw materials department of a paper mill. I went back to the semiconductor company as part of the startup team for a three-part manufacturing plant. I got my masters. I loved all of it.

In between it all, I got married, and my husband and I applied to become permanent residents of Canada through the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program.

My godmother sponsored us. It took three years.

Calgary, Alberta Canada The grind of daily life: work-chores-camping-shoveling, repeat. Fortunately, I had a little extra time, so I started a side hustle for fun. After selling leftover party supplies from my daughter’s first and second birthdays, I started a party in a bin in 2015.

“This is my childhood dream!” I said to myself. “It’s happening!” I used my morning CTrain commute downtown to email clients, checked in at lunchtime and then again at the end of the day on the Train home. After two years of doing this, I was swamped and exhausted. At the same time, I was enrolled in a continuing education course at the University of Calgary twice a week after work. Waiting for the train one night, my eyelashes were heavy with ice in the -30°C on 7th St. and 7th Ave. I asked myself, “Why am I doing this? Does this make sense?” I still had to prepare a party bin for a morning pickup. “Oh yes,” I tried convincing myself.

“It makes me happy and one day it will make sense.”

In downtown Calgary, my exercise after work was walking from 7th St. to 1st St. and then taking the train northbound. I fell in love with Stephen Ave. It is where I saw my first Beakerhead robot in the fall of 2015. So when, in 2017, I saw a call for Beakerhead submissions - a festival mashup of science, art and engineering I wondered about my crazy, dream of balloons spilling out of buildings.

Balloons in tow and 38 weeks pregnant, I presented my proposal during Valentine’s week. It was approved! In September my team and I executed “Nucleation, an Ode to Bubbles.” The following year, I did “Dreams Never Die” inspired by “UP House” for Beakerhead. I was 12 weeks pregnant.

My daughters are now 10, 5 and 3 years old. On weekends they help me sort balloon bags. Sometimes they stay up late while I install balloons at malls or they help to pop balloons on the street. Will these be memories they will someday cherish? Lesson 4: Family first.

I pay tribute to my Filipino heritage by naming balloon installations based on Tagalog words. I name them based on my journey, and chapters of my life, happy or tragic. Lessons 1, 2 and 3 from my years in commerce have come in handy, but lesson 4 was the most important. The key to happiness lies in those genuine feelings of bliss we experienced as children. Like my childhood memory of family Sundays, looking forward to a single red balloon. If that worked, then what could a thousand balloons do?

It takes grit, resilience, patience, positivity, and an open mind to chase your dreams.

I had to look back to where I came from and go from there. Initiative is key. I had my dream since age eight, but at age 30 I knew I had to work on it. Confident in my traditional corporate abilities and career, I went on chasing my childhood dream. I am now 40 and very grateful and proud of learning to ask for help.

Lesson 5: Ask for what you want.

It takes all of oneself to invest in a dream to make it a reality. It is worth every second. People had told me that immigrants can never be as successful in their new homes as they were in their countries of origin. It is not true. In fact, a new country can make you more confident. The culture, values and outlook of your old country are your roots. Canada adds a layer of bold perspective encouraging you to go for it!

Canadians, lend a hand to newcomers. It gives us a sense of belonging. Friends, support your besties. I still keep in touch with my burger and balloon customers. I am grateful to my university friends who helped me carry bags of balloons on the streets. Partners, say yes. Today, I have thousands of balloons, ready for installation.

My husband smiles along. Siblings, be the cheerleaders. My sister helped me to pay for balloon supplies and my brother carried tulips to school for delivery.

They made me feel so supported. Parents, let your children choose. Support their happiness and encourage even after failure. My father bought me that first red balloon, and my mother let me walk alone to and from the market. Without them I wouldn’t be in this position today.

My father died in a car accident in 2004 but I think he would have loved the thank you postcards I sent my clients: each had a photograph of a giant red helium balloon in the middle of the road along Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive, embraced by trees and greeted by the Rockies. A full circle offering love and happiness to the world. **** Maria Divina Gracia Tanguin-Galura migrated to Canada with her husband Terry in 2011. They are raising 3 daughters in Calgary and enjoy a weekend trip to Banff for fun. Maria’s bright smile is reflected on her numerous delightful creations for the community. In September 2022, it will be 5 years since her first balloon art installation. She is thrilled to do more across Canada. www.calgaryparty50.ca

“Now.Near.Far” LobbyFest Anchor Art Installation of 5,000 Biodegradable Latex Balloons Inaugural LobbyFest - Urban Futuring, Prototyping Placemaking Festival of Calgary’s Urban Core Photographed by: Colin Woods