Gummi Boutique owner James Dobbin will be travelling to Montana to pick up 81,000 gumballs. (CBC)

A Calgary man is making a cross-border run Thursday to bring back 81,000 gumballs for a one-of-a-kind portrait of Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

James Dobbin, owner of Gummi Boutique, has been asked to bring back the classic candy for a commissioned art project by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Calgary.

"Essentially we're driving down to Montana to a warehouse that I have there to pick up these gumballs that were shipped by one of my suppliers," he said.

However, the gumballs won't be going into the candy bags of thousands of Calgary children.

This weekend, Pennsylvania artist Franz Spohn will make a 78-inch-by-78-inch portrait of Nenshi, made entirely out of gumballs.

Dobbin said he volunteered to make the trip to get the all-important gumballs.

“My friends think I’m crazy, but I love what I do, so why not?” Dobbin said. “There’s going to be a ton of people happy by this. I know it sounds cheesy but it's true.”

This isn’t the first time a politician has been immortalized in candy.

Spohn was recently commissioned to create a gumball portrait of President Barack Obama.

Calgary residents are invited to get involved in the candy creation. The portrait will be assembled at the museum on May 19 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.