Community News

Diwali is one of the major religious festivals celebrated by those who practice the Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism faiths. It is a celebration of light, hope and community and brings a message of triumph over darkness. The arts traditionally play a major role in cultural expression for this festival, which is often depicted through vibrant paintings, intricate rangoli designs, and illuminated sculptures.

This year, Diwali falls on October 20, 2025 and is celebrated annually for five days. To coincide with the festival, communities across Alberta will commemorate the occasion with a number of events that incorporate the arts. Below is a sampling of what is available:

Edmonton

Sufi Night: Diwali Bash – Saturday, October 18, 2025 at Zillionaires Lounge & Bar (6256 99 Street)
Featuring live Sufi performances by Neha Batra and Abhishek Patyal.

Chamak Diwali 2025 South Asian Cultural Festival – Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Union Hall (6420 99 Street)
Featuring live performances from Mikey Singh.

Calgary

Utsav – Diwali Fest by Indian Society of Calgary – Saturday, October 18, 2025 (7555 Falconridge Blvd NE)
Featuring music, dance, and artistic expression from renowned local and international talents.

Diwali Fest 2025 – Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Genesis Centre (7555 Falconridge Blvd NE)
Featuring cultural performances, music, and dance.

Central Alberta

Diwali Night 2025 – Hindu Cultural Society of Central Alberta – Saturday, November 1, 2025 at Festival Hall (4214 58 St), Red Deer
Featuring an evening of cultural performances, music, and a DJ.

Northern Alberta

Diwali Milan 2025 – Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Syncrude Sports and Wellness Centre (9908 Penhorwood St), Fort McMurray 
Featuring Bollywood music and activities/showcases.

Southern Alberta

Gujarati Diwali Celebration – Sunday, October 19, 2025 at Agri-Food Hub & Trade Centre (101 Exhibition WyS), Lethbridge
Featuring a night of music and dance.

October 16, 2025

John Wort Hannam, a Lethbridge-based musician, is a JUNO nominee and three-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner with multiple Western Canadian Folk Music Award nominations under his belt. For more than 25 years, his music has celebrated the spirit of everyday Albertans, bringing their stories to life on stages across Canada and around the world.

The Artist in Residence program highlights the power of the arts to inspire creativity, connect communities and honour Alberta's rich cultural identity. Through this program, an Albertan artist receives a grant to serve a one-year term as Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador, as they create an art project that showcases the power of the arts in Alberta. 

Through his one-year residency, John will engage with communities across Alberta, attend cultural events and offer an inside look at his artistic process as Alberta’s Arts Ambassador.

“I am excited to announce John Wort Hannam as Alberta’s new Artist in Residence. John’s music is powerful, echoing the stories of Alberta’s strength, culture and identity. I also want to thank our 2024 Artist in Residence, Samantha Williams-Chapelsky, for her inspiring collection of plein air paintings and meaningful contributions to Alberta’s arts community.”

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

John’s residency project, ‘Everyone Has a Story,’ will connect unique voices and put Alberta’s talent on centre stage with 10 songwriting workshops in rural, remote and inner-city communities across the province. Each workshop will conclude with a public listening session and performance, highlighting the stories and songs created during that session.

“Every Albertan carries a unique story and when we listen to one another, we connect and build stronger communities. As Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador, I am honoured to use the power of music to bridge Albertans’ experiences and share their voices across the province.”

John Wort Hannam, 2025-26 Artist in Residence

Alberta is proud to be the only province in Canada to offer a provincial Artist in Residence program open to artists of all disciplines. The residency comes with a grant of up to $50,000. Hannam was selected from a shortlist of seven applicants, and his term runs until Sept. 30, 2026.

“The Artist in Residence program gave me time, space and support to explore my painting practice and truly connect with the landscapes across Alberta. It is a unique opportunity in Canada to be supported by a provincial government, and it was the honour of a lifetime to do this project.”

Samantha Williams-Chapelsky, 2024-25 Artist in Residence

“The Alberta Artist in Residence program celebrates the transformative power of art. Through the work of the selected artist, this initiative honours the cultural contributions of Alberta’s artistic community. At the AFA, we strive to inspire, connect and advocate for the arts across the province. Congratulations to John Wort Hannam on his selection as Alberta’s sixth Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador.”

Cynthia P. Moore, Chair, Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Host the Artist in Residence 

As Alberta’s Arts Ambassador and a voice for artists across the province, John will be available to speak about the arts in Alberta at local and cultural events. Communities interested in hosting the Artist in Residence can apply online through Artist in Residence webpage.

Quick facts

• Budget 2025 invests a record $36.1 million in arts funding, with responsible investments growing to more than $43 million annually by 2027.
• In 2020, Alberta’s music sector generated $1.7 billion in provincial GDP and sustained more than 20,500 jobs in Alberta.

Related information

• Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador Program

Multimedia

• Watch the news conference

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

At Contemporary Calgary, we believe that art sparks conversation, inspires critical thinking, and invites the exploration of new ideas. Guided by this vision, we strive to be a resource for our community while also welcoming new voices and expanding our reach.

Thanks to the generous support of Heather Edwards, we are proud to offer our space at an accessible rate—supporting the presentation of work that is relevant, meaningful, and thought-provoking.

Are you an arts and culture organization, collective, or individual hoping to bring your work to the stage? Do you want to realize your projects with all the equipment of a modern theatre? Contemporary Calgary is seeking community partners to bring engaging cultural experiences to the Heather Edwards Theatre as well as to contribute to the development of Calgary’s performing arts community.

We invite you to share your ideas for this space as we continue to build bridges across communities through shared experiences of contemporary art. If you have an idea and are interested in developing a partnership with us, please visit us at our website at https://www.contemporarycalgary.com/heather-edwards-theatre

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.

The Citadel Theatre invites submissions from visual artists based in Edmonton or the surrounding region to activate our new Light Wall, a striking 40-foot digital mural located in the lush, glass-enclosed Lee Pavilion in downtown Edmonton. This project is supported by the City of Edmonton’s Downtown Vibrancy Fund.

The artwork will be featured as part of Alberta Culture Days celebrations at Citadel Theatre from September 26 to 28, 2025, contributing to a nation-wide festival of arts and culture.

See full submission details on our website: https://citadeltheatre.com/artists/artist-programs-mentorship/call-for-visual-artists-digital-artwork-for-light-wall-activation/

PROJECT SCOPE

• Content Type: We are currently seeking existing digital still image artworks (not video or animation) from Edmonton-based artists that are suitable for display on a large-format digital screen.
• Programming: Images from multiple artists will be programmed to display periodically throughout the day during our 2025/26 Season, alternating with Citadel-branded content. We anticipate selecting 3–5 images, with the possibility of including additional works if budget allows.
• Viewing Context: The work will be visible from both the Lee Pavilion and the Maclab Theatre lobby. It should have strong visual impact from a distance while offering details that reward closer viewing.
• Atmosphere: Submissions should consider and complement the Pavilion’s architectural features, including glass, natural light, tropical plants, and steady public traffic. The work should provide visual interest without overwhelming the environment. Artists are encouraged to consider visual accessibility in their design. The Light Wall is visible from multiple angles and is located in an area with accessible pathways.
• Intention: The goal of this project is to activate the Pavilion with engaging, memorable visual art that connects with a wide range of visitors. This includes theatregoers, community members, and guests who may be visiting the space casually or for the first time. 

TECHNICAL GUIDELINES

• Format: High-resolution JPEG or PNG
• Dimensions: Minimum 3840 x 2160 pixels (4k)
• Orientation: Landscape only
• File Size: Maximum 4 MB per image
• Colour Mode: RGB
• Content Type: No video, animation, or audio content will be accepted for this call.
• Artists may submit up to 1 image for consideration. 

Honorarium: $750 per selected image. This fee covers artist time, licensing for a 12-month exhibition term, and any preparation of deliverables.

PROJECT TIMELINE

• Submission Deadline: September 5, 2025, at 5:00 PM (MDT)
• Artists Notified: September 12, 2025
• Launch: Anticipated to be September 26, 2025 (exact date/time TBD) 

ELIGIBILITY

This opportunity is open to: 

• Individual artists residing in Edmonton or surrounding regions.
• Artists working in any visual discipline, including but not limited to photography, illustration, digital painting, generative design, or mixed digital media.
• Artists must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission. 

Artists from equity-deserving communities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All submissions must be submitted online via email to citadeltheatremarketing@gmail.com with “VisualArtSubmission2025_Artist Name” as the subject line.

Please note: This email is for submissions only. We are unable to respond to questions about eligibility, requirements, or selection.

Each proposal should include: 

• Artist Statement (max. 300 words). Briefly introduce your artistic practice and approach.
• 1 Digital Image File. Final artwork intended for submission. Include title, year, medium, and a description for each (how the submitted work responds to the site and audience)
• Resume or Bio (max. 2 pages) 

For larger files (over 1MB), please provide a secure file-sharing link (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer) with appropriate permissions so we can access and download your materials. Ensure shared links are accessible without requiring special permissions or login.  

Please note: No in-person drop-offs or physical pieces will be considered. A high-resolution digital image must be created and submitted to be considered for this opportunity. 

SELECTION PROCESS

Proposals will be reviewed by a selection panel made up of Citadel Theatre staff. Selections will be based on: 

• Alignment with the theme and artistic approach
• Suitability for large-scale digital presentation
• Resonance with the Pavilion’s setting and atmosphere
• Technical feasibility and clarity of presentation 

Shortlisted artists may be contacted for clarification or minor revisions.  

RIGHTS & LICENSE

• Artists retain full copyright of their submitted works.
• Citadel Theatre will receive a non-exclusive, time-limited license to exhibit the work(s) on the Light Wall for 12 months, as well as to use images for marketing and documentation (with credit). Artists will be credited on the graphic as part of the display.
• Citadel Theatre retains the right to remove any artwork from display at any time during the licensing period. The Theatre may also add or modify surrounding content, such as branding or promotional materials, to meet programming or operational needs.
• The Citadel reserves the right to decline any work that does not meet display requirements or align with our commitment to safe, inclusive public space.

Note: Due to limited capacity, we will confirm receipt of all submissions but will only contact artists whose work has been selected.

The City of Kelowna invites local, national, and international professional artists, artist-led teams, and cultural makers working in diverse artistic mediums to submit their Expressions of Interest for several public art commissions that are part of Building a Stronger Kelowna (BSK), a group of recreational projects that work together to build deeper community connections across the city.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 2 pm (PST) 

Building a Stronger Kelowna includes the redevelopment of Parkinson Recreation Centre, Mill Creek restoration, which is part of the Parkinson Recreation Centre site, and all-ages activity centres at Glenmore Rec Park, Rutland Lions Park, and Mission Rec Park. This suite of projects is a unique opportunity to develop a curatorial program of permanent and temporary artworks that will be original, inspired by Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley, and help tell the stories of this place.

Public art sites have not been determined yet and will evolve out of the integrated project delivery approach that is being used by the BSK team and this call for artists. Artists who apply to this call may be considered for public art commissions at any of the BSK locations. 

Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit artists and/or cultural makers with connections to the syilx Okanagan people’s territory are encouraged to apply.

Read the full Call to Artists at https://www.kelowna.ca/our-community/planning-projects/building-stronger-kelowna/building-stronger-kelowna-call-artists-0

City of Kelowna
1435 Water Street, Kelowna BC, V1Y 1J4
www.kelowna.ca
Artcalls@kelowna.ca 
250.469.8500