Free This Week
Calgary's visual arts scene kicks into high gear with lots of new shows
If you’re looking for something to do this week, don’t worry—Calgary’s arts community is full of awesome stuff to check out including tons of visual arts events. There’s even a handful of other sweet freebies. Don’t miss out and start planning!
ProArts Presents Eric Nyland
September 11, 2019, 12:00 – 12:50pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free admission
For over 20 years, actor and pianist Eric Nyland has worked professionally in theatre, film, voice-over, music, and music pedagogy. Swing by ProArts@Noon to hear him perform a classical piano concert featuring Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata.
proartssociety.ca
The Imaginairium Preview Night
September 11, 2019, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Engagement Lab, Memorial Park Library (2nd Floor, 1221 2nd St. SW)
Free admission, registration required
Join Wordfest CEO Shelley Youngblut as she dishes out all the festival delights ahead. Learn all about the authors announced so far, including E. Jean Carroll, Chigozie Obioma, Mary Norris, and many more. The evening wraps with the We’ve Read This Book Club so come prepared to delve into Amy Jones’s newest novel, Every Little Piece of Me.
wordfest.com
INSITEM
September 12, 2019, 5:00 – 8:00pm
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission
Celebrate the graduating MFA students of the Department of Art at the University of Calgary at the closing reception of INSITEM. The show features works by Niswonger, Chartrand, Straathof, Chagoya, Chen, and Warkentin.
facebook.com
Your Name Here Opening Reception
September 12, 2019, 5:00 – 8:00pm
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Showcasing two series of collage paintings done simultaneously between 2013 and 2014—Proscenium and Camp David—don’t miss this show by acclaimed international artist Attila Richard Lukacs.
herringerkissgallery.com
NUTV Student Film Festival
September 12, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Globe Cinema (617 8th Ave. SW)
Free admission
This third annual festival showcases Alberta’s best student films with juried prizes awarded following the screening. Everyone is welcome to join in and celebrate the accomplishments of these talented young filmmakers.
eventbrite.ca
Inner City Stories
September 13, 2019, 5:00 – 7:00pm
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Featuring a cast of characters living on 11a street in Kensington, Aritha van Herk reads Falling on 11a, the fourth story in a series that includes Deep Cold, Big Melt, and Lavender Doors. Come enjoy this reading with refreshments. Past copies are available and all chapbooks are $5.
facebook.com
Ghost Stories Opening Reception
September 13, 2019, 6:00 – 10:00pm
Ruberto Ostberg Gallery (2108 18th St. NW)
Free admission
Gather around the campfire and listen to tales filled with ghosts and ghouls including the fantastic and macabre. These stories haunt our closets, our hallways, the undersides of our beds. Each of the artists has written a short story to go along with an original piece of work produced with a folk tale, urban legend, or ghost story in mind.
facebook.com
Cover Art
September 13, 2019, 7:00 – 10:00pm
Festival Hall (1215 10th Ave. SE)
Free admission
Celebrate as Calgary Folk Fest launches its 40th anniversary double album, Cover Art! This free event is open to the public so drop by to learn about its history, hear live music by local bands, and buy the album.
calgaryfolkfest.com
Mehmoon Opening Reception
September 13, 2019, 7:00 – 11:00pm
TRUCK Contemporary Art (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission
Through the use of various printing techniques that incorporate both found imagery and text, the body of work in Reza Rezaï’s Mehmoon reflects upon the events, ideas, and trends that have shaped Iran over the last 40 years.
truck.ca
Suck Teeth Compositions (After Rashaad Newsome) Opening Reception
September 13, 2019, 8:00pm
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free admission
A response to the frustrations of living within the denial of racism and an expression of the anger and pain that many Black people experience living in Canada, The New Gallery presents Suck Teeth Compositions (After Rashaad Newsome), an exhibition by Michèle Pearson Clarke.
thenewgallery.org
Only the Losers Opening Reception
September 13, 2019, 8:00pm
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission
Roy Caussy’s Only the Losers presents an interpretation of the artist’s experiences of living and working in Southern Alberta. It asks how do we negotiate the histories and sediments of this landscape that inform the larger social, political, and economic climate we find ourselves in today? Learn more at its opening reception.
stride.ab.ca
#FreeYourPlay
September 14, 2019, 12:00 – 4:00pm
Shouldice Park (4900 Monserrat Dr. NW)
Free admission
Let your kids create their own fun with the Kamik and Earth Day Canada pop-up adventure playground. They’ll build forts, run through obstacle courses, bake mud pies, and more at this creative afternoon.
earthday.ca
Mysteries of Chinese Opera Revealed
September 14, 2019, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Central Library (800 3rd St. SE)
Free admission, registration required
As a quintessential part of Chinese culture, Peking opera is familiar to most Chinese people but rarely understood. Learn more at this lecture delivered by an expert. It is an extraordinary opportunity to dive into this traditional art form!
facetmusic.ca
Safe Site Sessions
September 14 & 15, 2019, 3:00 – 5:00pm
Central Memorial Park (1221 2nd St. SW)
Free admission
Downstage’s newest community engaged project finds creative ways to explore access to public space, supervised consumption services, and adjacent community. You don’t need a ticket! Just arrive and join this artful adventure.
facebook.com
Hello/Goodbye: Sharanpal Ruprai and Liz Howard
September 16, 2019, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Lunchbox Theatre (115 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required
Welcome 2019/20 Canadian writer-in-residence Sharanpal Ruprai and say goodbye to outgoing writer-in-residence Liz Howard. Hear readings from both authors followed by a book-signing and reception.
events.ucalgary.ca
Riverview Artists September Show & Sale
September 16 – 20, 2019, 9:00am – 4:00pm
Centennial Place (250 3rd Ave. SW)
Free admission
Original artwork by 12 local artists from Riverview Artists is featured in this upcoming art show and sale. The paintings are varied in style and technique, reflecting the unique creativity and inspiration of each artist. Swing by each day from 9:00am to 4:00pm to meet a participating creator.
riverview-artists.com
