Visual arts & new media

Drop-in Sketching: Bad Taxidermy

Have you ever wished you could use the museum’s collections for sketching inspiration? Now’s your chance! We'll be showcasing rarely seen museum objects to create a still-life setup for you to practice your drawing skills.   

This month to celebrate the season, we’re bringing out some truly derpy-looking critters and spooky animals.  

This event is included with Admission.

Call to Artists: MNP Community & Sport Centre Public Art

Call to Artists: MNP Community & Sport Centre Public Art

Submission Deadline: October 24, 2025 at 4:00 PM (MDT)

MNP Community & Sport Centre is a world-class sport and fitness facility that inspires individuals and teams to be passionate about sport, people, and community. The Lindsay Park Sports Society (LPSS), overseeing the MNP Community & Sport Centre in Calgary, Alberta, invites professional local, national, and international artists or artist-led teams with public art experience to apply for Stage 1 of this two-stage public art competition as part of the Leisure Expansion Aquatics Project (LEAP). 

Adjacent to Lindsay Park and the Elbow River, the location of the MNP Community & Sport Centre provides a unique opportunity for artists to consider the role of the pool and the park in the social life of cities, as well as how the leisure and recreational activities at the Centre connect to this place known as Moh’kinstsis / Calgary. 

Public art at MNP Community & Sport Centre will:

  • Demonstrate excellence in contemporary art
  • Contribute to the identity of the project, facility, and place
  • Offer welcoming and memorable experiences for visitors to MNP Community & Sport Centre

This public art call invites artists to explore the redeveloped MNP Community & Sport Centre in Calgary to creatively engage with ideas specific to the place and space, including how the public art:

  • Connects to the project and the histories and stories of Lindsay Park and the surrounding area
  • Plays on the sport and recreation activities that occur in the building every day
  • Considers the importance of water to the project and its location on the Elbow River
  • Understands Indigenous connections to the land and the river
  • Is welcoming and fosters community interest and connectivity with neighbouring communities
  • Contributes to the creation of memorable and inclusive spaces
  • Considers the relationship between the interior life of the building and its connection to Lindsay Park and the pathways
  • Integrates with the facility and contributes to a quality experience for people who use the performance sport and public recreation facilities

Artists are invited to submit their qualifications to create work for one and/or two identified sites. Alternate sites may also be considered if artists identify other key opportunities. One artist will be commissioned and work within the total public art project budget of $405,000 CAD (exclusive of all applicable taxes). This budget includes all costs directly associated with creating the artwork at all sites.

Indigenous, Métis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous artists with connections to the Treaty 7 region are encouraged to apply. Where applicable, preference will be given to Canadian applicants. 

Read the full Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) at  MNP LEAP Public Art - Call to Artists.

Image Credit: Architectural Rendering of South Entrance, GEC Architecture

 

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The Lindsay Park Sports Society (LPSS), overseeing the MNP Community & Sport Centre in Calgary, Alberta, invites professional local, national, and international artists or artist-led teams with public art experience to apply for Stage 1 of this two-stage public art competition as part of the Leisure Expansion Aquatics Project (LEAP).

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Call to Artists: MNP Community & Sport Centre Public Art
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The Lindsay Park Sports Society (LPSS), overseeing the MNP Community & Sport Centre in Calgary, Alberta, invites professional local, national, and international artists or artist-led teams with public art experience to apply for Stage 1 of this two-stage public art competition as part of the Leisure Expansion Aquatics Project (LEAP).

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Call to Artists: MNP Community Centre Public Art
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The Lindsay Park Sports Society (LPSS), overseeing the MNP Community & Sport Centre in Calgary, Alberta, invites professional local, national, and international artists or artist-led teams with public art experience to apply for Stage 1 of this two-stage public art competition as part of the Leisure Expansion Aquatics Project (LEAP).

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Message from Board Chair Cynthia P. Moore on the opening of AFA art house

On September 10, I was pleased to be joined by the Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, members of the AFA Board of Directors and the arts community to officially open AFA art house – a new home for Alberta artists. 

Located in the heart of Downtown Calgary in The Edison building, AFA art house is dedicated to exhibiting Alberta artists and displaying works from the AFA Art Collection, the world’s largest collection of Alberta art. The first exhibition, New Views, is now open to the public. It features a diverse selection of 50 AFA artworks in the AFA Art Collection, including the first piece that started the Collection in 1972, and some of which have never been publicly exhibited before. Today, the AFA Art Collection features some of Alberta’s most prominent artists. You can learn more about the collection and the amazing Alberta artists at affta.ab.ca.

I was proud to announce the first solo exhibition in AFA art house will feature Samantha Williams-Chapelsky, the 2024-25 Alberta Artist in Residence and selected works from her “Sky, Stone, and Prairie: Plein Air Perspectives of Alberta” project. This exhibition will open later this fall. 

The AFA thanks the City of Calgary and Aspen Properties for being our partners in bringing AFA art house to fruition. We thank Alberta’s government for their ongoing support allowing the AFA to deliver on our mandate to support and celebrate Alberta art. We are proud to contribute to the revitalization of Calgary’s downtown core through the creation of art house. 

I encourage everyone to come visit AFA art house and discover the incredible talent and diversity of Alberta’s visual artists. Admission is free and we are open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 4 p.m., or by special appointment. Learn more at affta.ab.ca/art-house.

Sincerely,

Cynthia P. Moore, Chair of the Board of Directors 
Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Watch the AFA art house reel

Watch the AFA art house recap video

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AFA art house opening September 10, 2025 - interior view of the art house gallery. Photo credit David Kotsibie
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On September 10, I was pleased to be joined by the Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, members of the AFA Board of Directors and the arts community to officially open AFA art house – a new home for Alberta artists.

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Message from Board Chair Cynthia P. Moore on the opening of AFA art house
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On September 10, I was pleased to be joined by the Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, members of the AFA Board of Directors and the arts community to officially open AFA art house – a new home for Alberta artists.

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Message from Board Chair Cynthia P. Moore
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On September 10, I was pleased to be joined by the Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, members of the AFA Board of Directors and the arts community to officially open AFA art house – a new home for Alberta artists.

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AFA art house opening September 10, 2025 - interior view of the art house gallery. Photo credit David Kotsibie
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Alberta artists celebrated with launch of free art gallery in Calgary

On September 10, 2025, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) launched the AFA art house, a new visual arts gallery located in Calgary dedicated to exhibiting Alberta artists. The gallery features works by Alberta artists including artworks from the AFA Art Collection, the largest collection in the world of visual arts by Albertan artists. 

The AFA art house is located on the second floor in The Edison building (150 9 Ave SW) in Downtown Calgary. The inaugural exhibition, New Views, opened to the public on September 11, 2025 and features a diverse selection of 50 AFA artworks acquired by the Collection. The exhibition features Portrait of Don Getty, a print featuring former Alberta Premier Don Getty’s Edmonton Elks (formerly "Eskimos") player card. The exhibition also features artworks that have never been publicly exhibited before. 

“The AFA art house celebrates the creativity, history and talent that define Alberta’s arts community. The AFA art house is another way we are supporting artists and providing opportunities for Albertans to view and experience Alberta art, including pieces from the AFA’s own collection. We are pleased to be partnering with the City of Calgary and Aspen Properties to bring this space to life and contribute to Calgary’s downtown revitalization.” 

Cynthia P. Moore, AFA Chair

"The AFA art house is an inspired new addition to downtown Calgary. A space that celebrates and showcases the incredible talent of Alberta artists, expanding public access to the largest collection of visual artworks by Alberta artists in the world. Alberta's government is proud to invest over $40 million to the arts through Budget 2025, fueling creativity, economic growth and vibrant communities."

Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women

In addition to New Views, the AFA is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition in the AFA art house will feature Samantha Williams-Chapelsky, the 2024-25 Alberta Artist in Residence/Arts Ambassador, and selected works from her “Sky, Stone, and Prairie: Plein Air Perspectives of Alberta” project. This exhibition will open in October 2025. 

The AFA art house strengthens the AFA’s commitment to celebrating local art while contributing to Calgary’s downtown revitalization.

The AFA welcomes the public to visit art house. Admission is free and the gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. 

Quick facts

  • The AFA Art Collection was established more than 50 years ago in 1972, initially proposed as “an opportunity to support and encourage Alberta artists by purchasing original works, as well as creating a legacy collection for the people of Alberta.”
  • The AFA Art Collection includes 9,565 artworks by more than 1,700 Alberta artists.
  • In 2023, the visual and applied arts and live performance industries contributed approximately $1.3 billion in GDP and sustained over 18,000 jobs in Alberta.

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Download photos from the event

  • Photo 1: AFA art house opening September 10, 2025 - main floor lobby of The Edison building. Photo credit David Kotsibie.
  • Photo 2: AFA Chair Cynthia P. Moore is joined by Honourable Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women to open AFA art house on September 10, 2025. Photo credit David Kotsibie.
  • Photo 3: AFA art house opening September 10, 2025 - interior view of the art house gallery. Photo credit David Kotsibie.
  • Photo 4: The Board of Directors of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) and the Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women at the AFA art house opening September 10, 2025. Pictured left to right: Shana Yang, Le Bo, Cynthia P. Moore, Honourable Tanya Fir, Yasmin Jivraj, Melody McKnight, Robert Fernandez. Photo credit David Kotsibie
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AFA art house opening September 10, 2025 - main floor lobby of The Edison building. Photo credit David Kotsibie.
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The AFA art house is now open in The Edison building in the heart of Downtown Calgary.

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Alberta artists celebrated with launch of free art gallery in Calgary
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The AFA art house is now open in The Edison building in the heart of Downtown Calgary.

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The AFA art house is now open in The Edison building in the heart of Downtown Calgary.

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The Works Art & Design Festival 2026 Call to Enter

The Works International Visual Arts Society produces art and education initiatives that engage diverse communities, disrupt the everyday, and facilitate connection and wonder. The Works is now calling for proposals for exhibits and installations, to animate Sir Winston Churchill Square and other public spaces in Edmonton, June 19 to July 1, 2026.  

Applicants are encouraged to apply with projects that consider location, environment, proximity, and influence, while considering the following guiding questions:  

Calgary's Rita McKeough selected for Lieutenant Governor award

Calgary based artist Rita McKeough has been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artists Award. She is expected to receive the awards’ patron in a ceremony held by Her Honour Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on October 4, 2025.

McKeough has 15 works held in the AFA Art Collection. You can view two these works, Manifesto of Mittenism and Urban Uprising in the AFA art house exhibition, New Views.

About the Artist

Rita McKeough’s interdisciplinary practice spans sound, installation, performance, video, and kinetic sculpture and has significantly shaped the contemporary art landscape in Alberta and beyond. For over five decades, her career has been marked by an unwavering commitment to experimentation, mentorship, and pushing the boundaries of contemporary art in Canada. McKeough has exhibited across Canada and the USA in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Recent works include: Remediation Room (Online, Calgary, 2022–ongoing); feel through deepness to see (Dunlop Art Gallery 2024); darkness is as deep as the darkness is (Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, 2020); Veins (OBORO,Montreal, 2018), and Oh, Canada (MassMOCA, North Adams, 2015). In 2009 McKeough was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.

About the Award

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award is Alberta’s most prestigious recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts.

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.

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Portrait of artist Rita McKeough. She has short white hair, glasses, and is wearing a blue scarf and dark jean jacket.
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Calgary based artist Rita McKeough has been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artists Award. She is expected to receive the awards’ patron in a ceremony held by Her Honour Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on October 4, 2025.

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Calgary based artist Rita McKeough has been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artists Award.

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Calgary based artist Rita McKeough has been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artists Award.

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15th Annual Chrysalis Art Exhibit and Reception

You’re invited to experience the creativity and talent of artists supported by Chrysalis at our 15th Annual Art Exhibition in Calgary.

Location: Level 4 Hallway Gallery, cSpace Marda Loop (1721 29th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB)
Exhibition Dates: Monday - Friday, October 6 – 31, 2025
Reception Date: Friday, October 25, 4PM-7:30PM

Throughout October, the Level 4 Hallway Gallery at cSpace Marda Loop will feature a vibrant collection of original artwork created by adults with disabilities. Each piece represents a personal journey and is a powerful reflection of change, growth, and opportunity.

This free, public exhibition is open to all, and many of the pieces are available for purchase. The majority of each sale goes directly back to the artist, supporting their confidence, independence, and continued creative growth.

We also invite you to attend our Art Exhibition Reception on Friday, October 25, where you can meet the artists, enjoy refreshments, and experience the full heart of this exhibition.

Whether you stop by for a quiet moment or join us for the reception, your presence helps celebrate the unique voices and abilities of the artists we support.

For more information, visit chrysalis.ca/events

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You’re invited to experience the creativity and talent of artists supported by Chrysalis at our 15th Annual Art Exhibition in Calgary.

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You’re invited to experience the creativity and talent of artists supported by Chrysalis at our 15th Annual Art Exhibition in Calgary.

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You’re invited to experience the creativity and talent of artists supported by Chrysalis at our 15th Annual Art Exhibition in Calgary.

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Open Call for "In the Meantime"

The Alberta Society of Artists invites all artists in Alberta (must be 18 years of age or older) to submit to the exhibition, “In the Meantime”. “This theme invites artists to explore the spaces in between—between moments, between decisions, between versions of ourselves. It is a meditation on pause, transition, and stillness—on the subtle rhythms that shape our lives when nothing dramatic seems to be happening. We are interested in work that engages with the liminal, the preparatory, or the unresolved.