Visual arts & new media

From October 11 until December 6, 2025, The Looking Glass will be on display at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat. This is just one stop on the exhibition's three-year tour of the province with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) Travelling Exhibition (TREX) program. 

The Looking Glass is a collection of 17 pieces by 12 artists, curated from the AFA  Permanent Collection. Each piece contains a visualization of reflection, manifesting in different ways. Photographs of common reflective materials prompt contemplation on the relationships we have with the things that surround us, and the impact we have on each other. Distorted self-portraiture forces us to confront conflicting versions of self that exist. Depictions of looking glasses raise questions about credibility and deception. Although common tools for observing and making sense of the world, mirrors are also deeply associated with trickery and illusion. Considering the exhibition, viewers are invited to ponder reflection as a tool for introspection and a method of situating oneself within reality, or, more accurately, one’s perception of reality. 

Featured Artists: James Agrell Smith, Kyle Beal, Stefanja Dumanowski, Cynthia Fuhrer, Christian Grandjean, Tanya Harnett, Gene Leavitt, C.S. McConnell, Paul Murasko, Toni Onley, Felix Plawski and Jacques Rioux

Curated by Sierra Zukowski, TREX Southeast

We’re looking for a talented local or regional artist to design and paint a Winter Whimsy-themed window mural, helping to transform the Okotoks Municipal Centre into a festive and joyful space this holiday season! If you’re ready to share your creativity and brighten up our community, we’d love to hear from you.

The mural will be inspired by How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the whimsical world of Whoville — complete with curvy, colourful buildings, playful characters, and an atmosphere filled with celebration and kindness. Vibrant colours and fun, family-friendly designs are encouraged.

The selected artist will receive $4,000, inclusive of paint, materials, and installation. Work will take place November 4 to 8, 2025, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, with materials allowed to be stored on site.

Deadline to apply is Sunday, October 12, 2025.

To see the full requirements and learn more, click here. 

To apply, click here.

Seven artworks from Black and Indigenous artists have recently been acquired into MacEwan University's Art Collection and will be on display in the John L. Haar Library for the campus community and beyond to enjoy.

Three of these artists are  also represented in the AFA Art Collection: Braxton Garneau, Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet and Kablusiak. In addition, Braxton Garneau and Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet are currently represented in the New Views exhibition at the AFA art house in Calgary, which recently opened its gallery space to the public in September.

View the AFA's holdings by these artists on our Virtual Museum:

• Braxton Garneau, Dine
• Kiona Callihoo, Heart Piece
• Kablusiak,  Piliutiyara (Saltwater Taffy)

Kablusiak's  Piliutiyara (Saltwater Taffy) is from the same series of artworks acquired by MacEwan.

Congratulations to these young artists for this important achievement.

About the Artists

Braxton Garneau

Braxton Garneau is a visual artist based in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). A MacEwan University alumnus, Garneau graduated in 2017 with a Fine Art diploma. He works across mediums such as painting, printmaking and installation using a wide range of materials such as asphalt, sugar cane and raffia. His work has been acquired by numerous public and private collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, which acquired his work Pitch Lake (Pietà) in 2024 through the Northern Trust Purchase Prize at EXPO Chicago.

Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet 

Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet is an artist based in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). She is a MacEwan University alumnus who graduated with a Fine Art diploma in 2017. Working in a variety of disciplines including painting, printmaking, drawing and installation, her art explores intergenerational grief, memory, family history, loss and enfranchisement. Ligtvoet is the recipient of multiple awards, and her debut graphic novel, We Were Younger Once (2022), was nominated for the Doug Wright Award for emerging talent.

Kablusiak

Kablusiak is a multidisciplinary Inuvialuk artist and curator based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). They are a MacEwan University alumnus who graduated with a Fine Art diploma in 2013. Their practice explores Inuit queerness, sexuality, comedy and nostalgia as well as feelings of displacement and loss. Kablusiak has been recognized through numerous awards such as the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award (2020 & 2023), the Kenojuak Ashevak Memorial Award (2021 recipient, 2023 shortlist) and the Sobey Art Award (2019 shortlist, 2023 recipient).

About the New Views exhibition

New Views is the inaugural exhibition of the AFA art house in Calgary. The exhibition features 50 unique artworks from 40 extraordinary Alberta artists acquired within the last 10 years that represent only a sampling of the extensive collection of artworks in the vault of the AFA Art Collection. It is part of our goal to make more of the art from our collection available for the public to enjoy.

About the AFA art house

The AFA art house, located in the heart of downtown Calgary, is a space to for Albertans to see, discover, and experience the unique stories the artists of Alberta have to share. The Gallery will showcase works from the AFA Art Collection as well as other works from Alberta artists. The AFA art house is free to access.

We hope you will join us on Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm to experience a one-of-a-kind shopping experience at the Wildflower Arts Centre (3363 Spruce Dr SW) in Calgary.

Our artists are busy getting ready for the holiday season creating art of all kinds. At the Salon you will find paintings, fibre art, hand pulled prints, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, drawing, glass work and more!

What makes the Salon different from other sales? 

At the Wildflower Art Salon & Sale you will be immersed with art in every direction. Our artists work is mixed together throughout the space versus individual artist tables. This set-up catches your eye in different ways and allows your brain to slow down and look more specifically at each piece. We cannot wait to have you over to see what we are working on. 

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Be a Part of Entwined!

Contemporary Calgary is seeking enthusiastic exhibition volunteers to support our upcoming group exhibition, Entwined.

Entwined brings together Canadian artists from Alberta, the Prairies, and beyond to explore our relationship with the land and all living beings. Working across various materials and media, the artists featured in this exhibition reflect on urgent ecological issues and the interconnectedness of all species. Drawing from traditional knowledge, mythology, science, and imagination, the exhibition calls for a shift away from human-centered thinking toward a deeper sense of kinship, responsibility, and care for the natural world.

What will your role involve?

As an Exhibition Volunteer, you will play a key role in enhancing the visitor experience. You will assist visitors by engaging them in conversations about the artworks, helping them connect with the exhibition, and answering general questions. Your responsibilities will also include offering friendly guidance—such as clarifying which works are interactive and which are for viewing only—ensuring a welcoming atmosphere, and providing support as needed throughout the space.

What are the requirements? 

We ask for volunteers to commit to at least one shift per week from December through March. Shifts are available on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 12-7 PM, and Sundays from 12-5 PM.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please submit your interest here by Sunday, November 16, 2025.

If you have any questions about this volunteer position, please reach out to Beth Kane Manager, Visitor Experience at beth@contemporarycalgary.com and Sabine Levesque at sabine@contemporarycalgary.com 

Contemporary Calgary is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful volunteer community and encourages applications from all individuals.

Medicine Hat based artist, Jessica Plattner, was a successful applicant to the AFA’s Art Acquisition by Application (AAA) program in 2022. The program is designed to acquire contemporary works of art by any eligible Alberta artist.

Plattner’s piece, Exquisite Corpse, on display in the AFA art house exhibition, New Views, is a self-portrait based on a surrealist game in which each participant takes turns drawing a different body part (i.e. head, body, legs) on a piece of paper and then folds it to conceal their contribution. When everyone has taken a turn, the piece of paper is unfolded to reveal a unique figure.

Plattner’s work adapts this concept using a photograph of herself as well as contributions from her daughter to form a unique creation. The portrait captures her disjointed feelings during the time of production.

Watch as Plattner tells the story behind her work and what inspires her artistic practice.

View Jessica's Artist Spotlight

About the artist

Jessica Plattner is an American/Canadian artist living in Alberta. She earned a BFA from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis, and an MFA in painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Temple Rome, Italy. She has exhibited her work in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Italy. Artist residencies include Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, The Vermont Studio Center, SACI (Studio Art Centers International) and a Fulbright Scholarship in Mexico. Recent exhibition venues include Gallery@501 in Edmonton, Art Center East Main Gallery in Oregon,  the ASA Gallery in Calgary, Art Gallery of St. Albert, the Okotoks Art Gallery, the Esplanade Art Gallery in Medicine Hat, as well as biennial faculty exhibitions at Gallery One on One at Medicine Hat College. Her work is held in the public collections of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA), The City of Medicine Hat, the City of St. Albert, and several colleges and universities. She currently teaches in the Art & Design Program at Medicine Hat College and lives with her partner, artist/musician Dean Smale, their daughter Sofie, and their dog Caniche.

About the AFA art house

The AFA art house, located in the heart of downtown Calgary, is a space to for Albertans to see, discover, and experience the unique stories the artists of Alberta have to share. The Gallery will showcase works from the AFA Art Collection as well as other works from Alberta artists. The AFA art house is free to access.