Free This Week

A new season and a new month, this week brings a refreshing lineup of events

  • Price: Free

Another week, another season, another month, and Calgary’s arts community continues to shine. With performance week kicking off at the M:ST 9 Performative Art Biennial, Alberta Culture Days, and Calgary’s first volunteer fair taking place, there’s plenty to see and do.

Here’s what we’re checking out:

ProArts Presents Anastassiia La Musa

September 26, 2018, 12:10 – 12:50pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free

Experience the raw passion of flamenco with dancer Anastassiia La Musa and singer Silvia Temis. The lunch hour concert also features Tosh Hayashi in his debut performance at the ProArts concert series, so don’t miss this vibrant performance as it brings the soul of Spain to the beautiful Cathedral of the Redeemer.
proartssociety.ca

Lyndal Osborne: Mutation in the Commons Reception

September 27, 2018, 5:00 – 8:00pm
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free

Curated by Michele Hardy and organized by Nickle Galleries, Lyndal Osborne: Mutation in the Commons offers a survey of Osborne’s sculptural work and speaks to transformation within nature and issues relating to the environment. An illustrated catalogue with a critical essay by Natalie Loveless accompanies the exhibition.
nickle.ucalgary.ca

On High Book Launch

September 27, 2018, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW)
Free, donations accepted

Celebrate the Calgary launch of Neil Surkan’s debut poetry collection, On High. Careful and tense, On High balances on all kinds of tightrope-like lines—a trout fisher revels after riding a moose, a buzzed lover speculates about human connection, new condo owners toast from balcony to balcony, a young woman kicks a hornet’s nest into her hometown library’s erotica/poetry/religion section. Surkan is joined for his reading by Laura Ritland.
bookmanager.com

Unpacking IKG: 60 Years a Gallery Opening Reception

September 28, 2018 5:00 – 8:00pm
Alberta College of Art + Design (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free

Curated by Ashley Slemming as part of the IKG’s Curatorial Internship with the support of Dr. Jennifer Salahub, don’t miss the first attempt to document the history of exhibiting art, craft, and design at the Alberta College of Art + Design (ACAD). With the aid of the archival holdings of SAIT, Glenbow, the University of Calgary, and ACAD’s Luke Lindoe Library, the exhibition illustrates not only the past 60 years but also the four decades leading up to having a designated gallery space.
ikg.acad.ca

Artist Talk by Dana Buzzee

September 28, 2018, 5:30 – 6:00pm
RGO Treehouse, cSPACE King Edward (4th Floor, 1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free

Join Calgary Allied Arts Foundation and its previous artist in residence, Dana Buzzee, for an artist talk. Exploring Buzzee’s research-based practice that currently examines the rich history of lesbian printed matter generated over the past 50 years in North America, the talk is followed by a reception for CAAF Connection.
facebook.com

CAAF Connection: Studio Residents’ Exhibition Reception

September 28, 2018, 6:00 – 8:00pm
cSPACE King Edward (4th Floor, 1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free

The first of its kind in the history of the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation, explore work by previous CAAF studio residents at this exhibition. Swing by the reception to meet the artists.
facebook.com

Set the Table Artist Talk & Exhibition Reception

September 29, 2018
Alberta Craft Gallery – Calgary, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free

An exhibition that explores what it means to set, sit, sip, and share together—swing by the Alberta Craft Gallery for several events for an artist talk from 1:00 to 2:00pm and an exhibition reception from 2:00 to 4:00pm on September 29.
facebook.com

Alberta Culture Days

September 28 – 30, 2018
Multiple locations
Free

Alberta Culture Days began in 2008 as a one-day event to recognize the value of Alberta’s arts and cultural communities. Since then, it has expanded into a vibrant, three-day, province-wide celebration that has helped inspire the creation of Culture Days—a pan-Canadian movement to raise awareness, accessibility, participation, and engagement of all Canadians in arts and culture. With tons of activities taking place, it’s a great chance to explore the community.
ab.culturedays.ca

Poster for Alberta Culture Days 2018

How Can You Think That?!? A Political Book Club

September 29, 2018, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW)
Free

This book club is for conservatives and liberals who want to bridge the great divide. Led by Julie Sedivy, a local scholar and writer, this month features Kingdom of Olives and Ash by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman. Buy the book, read it, and join in a lively discussion. This month’s discussion also features Marcello Di Cintio, the Calgary Public Library’s 2018 author in residence.
bookmanager.com

Mural Reception

September 29, 2018, 12:00 – 2:00pm
Arts Commons (205 8th Ave. SE)
Free

A new expanded direction and visual re-imagining of the old timeline hallway at Arts Commons, local illustrators Lyndon Navalta and Jenny Liski tell a deeper and more meaningful history of the Calgary and Alberta area. The reception also celebrates the recommissioned the temporary public art piece This Feels So Real by Rob Knudsen.
facebook.com

Bee Kingdom September Glass Sale

September 29 & 30, 2018, 12:00 – 5:00pm
Bee Kingdom Glass (427 22nd Ave. NW)
Free admission

It’s fall in Calgary meaning it’s the perfect time to swing by Bee Kingdom’s studio and find colourful scotch glasses, decanters, pumpkins, and more. You can even experience the studio and see the creation of glass work.
facebook.com

M:ST 9 Performance Art Biennial Performance Week

October 1 – 7, 2018
Multiple venues
Free admission

The M:ST 9 Biennial brings Canadian and international performance artists to Calgary for a month-long festival and its final week is full of artist talks, symposiums, publication launches, and more. With experimental and risk-taking artworks that disrupt conventions and connects theatres, galleries, and public spaces all over the downtown core, you’ll want to make time this week to explore.
facebook.com

Calgary Volunteer Fair

October 2, 2018, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Kerby Centre (1133 7th Ave. SW)
Free

The first of its kind in our city, this one-day, trade-show style event showcases 60 local organizations in one place. Visitors can meet with as many organizations as they wish to learn about what volunteer opportunities they have, what is expected of volunteers, and what the volunteer positions are really like.
volunteerfair.ca

Celebrate World Animal Day

October 2, 2018, 6:15pm
Alberta Wilderness Association (455 12th St. NW)
Free

Here’s your chance to celebrate World Animal Day with two presentations—The Mystery of Wandering Wolves with Peter Dettling and The Magic of Winged Wonders with Kerri Martin. Swing by the Alberta Wilderness Association and join Pages Books on Kensington for this informative evening.
pageskensington.com

Artist Talk with Life of a Craphead

October 2, 2018, 7:00 – 8:30pm
TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free

Join TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary, in partnership with M:ST Performative Art Festival, for an artist talk with Life of a Craphead that expands on the ideas and stories present in their exhibition, Entertaining Every Second.
facebook.com