Artist Talk with Thuy-Han Nguyen-Chi 

Free This Week

Whether you’re checking out the opening weekend of Calgary’s Chinook Blast winter festival, enjoying a hip-hop showcase with an R&B twist, or joining in for the farewell celebration of Luma Quarterly, this roundup of free events will help you embrace the winter season and warm your calendar!

Nickle at Noon — Chris Flodberg: Artist’s Talk

January 30, 2025, 12 – 1pm
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free to attend

Chris Flodberg is a Calgary-based painter whose earliest works recalled the realism and lushness of 17th-century Dutch painting. Ever evolving, Flodberg’s most recent paintings turn to abstraction, offering geometric forms that seemingly float in ethereal spaces. Check out his Nickle at Noon talk!
events.ucalgary.ca

Jam Session

January 30, 2025, 7 – 9pm
Alcove Centre for the Arts (244 7 Ave. SW)
Free to attend

Thursday Night Jams sessions are a welcoming space for musicians, poets, singers and attendees to play non-stop music with one another in an open circle, living room setting. Even if you don’t jam, they have a variety of art supplies to get crafty during the show.
alcoveartscentre.ca

Chinook Blast Opening Weekend

January 31 – February 2, 2025
Stephen Ave, The Confluence and other various venues
Select events are free to attend

Check out the first week of Calgary’s Chinook Blast winter festival as it highlights the best of Calgary’s art, music, theatre, sport and recreation. Enjoy free programming including art installations, live performances, a poetry competition, recreation opportunities, and more! Read our Chinook Blast preview to find out more about all the special events and exhibitions taking place during the festival.
chinookblast.ca

Farewell to Luma

January 31, 2025, 7 – 10pm
Emmedia (2005 10 Ave. SW)
Free to attend

Celebrate the final issue of Luma Quarterly! The evening features a panel with the co-founders of Luma and Luma editors and continues with an Open HDMI night hosted by MAPPERZ! Think open mic night but with projectors. Join in and say farewell to Luma!
instagram.com

Chinese New Year Festival

February 1 & 2, 2025, 11am – 6pm
Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre (197 1 St. SW)
Free to
attend

Celebrate the Year of Snake with a sensational showcase of our city’s rich cultural heritage. Experience a weekend filled with vibrant multicultural performances, traditional dragon and lion dances, a lively vendor market, art exhibitions and more!
culturalcentre.ca

Artist Talk with Thuy-Han Nguyen-Chi 

February 2, 2025, 3 – 4pm
Esker Foundation (4th floor, 1011 9 Ave SE)
Free to attend, registration required

Join Esker Foundation for an artist talk by exhibiting artist Thuy-Han Nguyen-Chi about her award-winning experimental documentary film Into The Violet Belly in the upcoming solo exhibition: The blue of the sky depends on the darkness of empty space behind it.
eventbrite.ca

Dangerous Gentlemen

February 3, 2025, 6:30 – 8pm
Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, Central Library (800 3 St. SE)
Free to attend
, registration required

Join the Calgary European Film Festival for Polish comedy Dangerous Gentlemen that sees Joseph Conrad and three notorious artists unravelling the hazy mystery of what happened last night — why is there a dead man on the couch and the police at the door?
eventbrite.ca

Dene and Inuit Games Workshop

February 5, 2025, 12 – 1 pm
Municipal Building (800 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free to participate

Get ready to test your skills and connect with Indigenous culture by learning and playing traditional Dene and Inuit games in this workshop, facilitated by Peter Daniels. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the rich heritage of the Dene and Inuit peoples.
eventbrite.ca

Chris McRae, Tenor

February 5, 2025, 12:10 – 1pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free to attend

Tenor Christopher McRae has been praised for his musicality, dramatic portrayals and for “a beautiful and sonorous tenor voice!” He made his professional debut with Calgary Opera and has appeared across Canada and the US. Catch him live for a free noon-hour concert!
proartssociety.ca

Ship Hop Showcase x Open Mic

February 5, 2025, 8pm
The Ship and Anchor (534 17 Ave. SW)
Free to attend

Ship Hop is a quarterly hip-hop showcase highlighting up-and-coming Calgary acts and provides a platform for those wanting to sharpen their pen through an open mic or test their freestyle skills. This year’s first show is RnB-inspired and features artists nula, Tissa Rahim and Soji Joseph.
facebook.com

Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.