Free This Week

A new month means Free First Thursdays at Glenbow and so much more

  • Price: Free

There never is a shortage of things to see and do in Calgary, and each week brings another great lineup of awesome free events! Here’s what we’re checking out this week:

ProArts Presents Blues At Noon

March 1, 2017, 12:00 – 12:50pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free

David Gogo performs his renowned acoustic blues show in this historic venue. Bring your lunch and listen to some of the finest blues on the planet, part of the Calgary Midwinter Bluesfest.
proartssociety.ca

Lifelong Learners

March 1, 2017, 2:30 – 3:15pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended

Seniors are invited to head to the Esker Foundation for a tour and discussion of the current exhibitions in a relaxed, social environment. Explore new ideas and engage creatively with arts and culture.
eventbrite.ca

A Walk Through Blues History

March 1, 2017, 7:00pm
King Edward Hotel, National Music Centre (438 9th Ave. SE)
Free

Go on a walk with David Gogo as he shares stories of his impressive body of work, road tales, and those of his friends including Johnny Winter and B.B. King, part of the Calgary Midwinter Bluesfest.
calgarybluesfest.com

Mini Masters

March 2, 2017, 11:00 – 11:45am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration essential

Calling Calgary’s newest contemporaries! Join the Esker Foundation on the first Thursday of every month for a hands-on art class. Parents and guardians are invited to bring their little ones, ages two to five, to explore art making in this fun and social program. All are welcome to participate, just dress for mess!
eventbrite.ca

Free First Thursday Nights

March 2, 2017, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free

It’s time for the March edition of Free First Thursday at Glenbow. And with recently opened North of Ordinary: The Arctic Photographs of Geraldine and Douglas Moodie, it’s a great chance to see this amazing photography exhibition.
facebook.com

Caprices’ Artists’ Collective at Tomoka Coffee

March 2, 2017, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Tomoka Coffee (3513 17th Ave. SE)
Free

Join Caprices’ Artists’ Collective as it features work by Nicole Musser, Coral Wales, Christina Ridley, and Rod Zillman. There will even be live music from Roberto Ugaddan and Steve Nelson with the Rockin Rebels. Swing by and check it out or visit Tomoka Coffee before April 28 to see the work.
facebook.com

CBC’s Canada Reads Book Club with Madeline Ashby

March 2, 2017, 6:30 – 9:00pm
Memorial Park Library (1221 2nd St. SW)
Free, registration required

Join CBC’s Russell Bowers for a one-night-only talk with author Madeline Ashby featuring her Canada Reads finalist book, Company Town. Select audience members will also have an opportunity to win a set of books from the 2017 Canada Reads Finalists.
eventbrite.ca

The Full Catastrophe: A Memoir

March 2, 2017, 7:00pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW)
Free

Karen Lee presents her memoir The Full Catastrophe and talks about healing and domestic abuse this week at Shelf Life Books. This personal memoir is the story of a well educated, professional woman who, after marrying the wrong kind of man―twice―finally resurrects her life.
shelflifebooks.ca

Perpetual Objects

March 3, 2017, 10:00 – 11:30am
Room AB672, Art Building, University of Calgary (2500 University Drive NW)
Free

In conjunction with their upcoming exhibition Perfect Memory: Authentic Gift Shop, SAD LTD will be doing a performative lecture at the University of Calgary. Perpetual Objects is a further exploration of the impact of leaving the motherland to live a prosperous life in a foreign country.
thenewgallery.org

Bring The Baby Art Tour

March 3, 2017, 12:00 – 12:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended

Bring your baby to Esker Foundation for a tot-friendly discussion on this relaxed, social tour.
eventbrite.ca

Perfect Memory: Authentic Gift Shop

March 3, 2017, 8:00pm
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free

Teresa Tam and Michelangela Samiadji, the duo behind Scripted Asian Dreams Limited (SAD LTD), explore the stigmas, stereotypes, experiences, and values of Asian-Canadian identities in a global culture. Transforming The New Gallery’s Main Space in Chinatown from a contemporary artist-run centre to a gift shop typical of the neighbourhood, check it out at its opening reception.
facebook.com

All Things Spring

March 4, 2017, 10:00am – 4:30pm
Edgemont Community Centre (33 Edgevalley Circle NW)
Free

Join the Federation of Canadian Artists for its next juried art show featuring 200 original works of art. Enter to win an original painting by a chapter artist and make sure you bring along a donation for the food bank for a second entry.
fcacalgary.ca

Digital Artifacts: Artist Talk

March 4, 2017, 3:00 – 4:30pm
TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free

Presented by EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society, join Greg Marshall, Peter Redecopp, Anna Semenoff, and Trevor Van den Eijnden on the last day of the exhibition for an artist talk.
facebook.com

What Now: Thinking Through Canada 150

March 4, 2017, 5:00pm
UAS Main Space (343 11th Ave. SW)
Free

Join Untited Art Society for this talk by writer, editor, and teacher David Balzer exploring the problems and opportunities surrounding Canada 150—an event that could be as much about the future as the past.
facebook.com

Glassblowing Demonstrations & Sale

March 4 & 5, 2017, 12:00 – 5:00pm
Bee Kingdom (427 22nd Ave. NW)
Free

You are invited to the hottest place in Calgary! Join Bee Kingdom Glass for its upcoming studio weekend where you’ll be able to watch glassblowing demonstrations and find new glasswork to add to your collection.
facebook.com

Medicine Unbundled

March 5, 2017, 2:00 – 4:00pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW)
Free

Join Shelf Life Books for the launch, reading, and signing of Gary Geddes’ Medicine Unbundled: A Journey Through the Minefields of Indigenous Health Care. Written in a graceful and self-reflective style, the book is both a devastating exposé of Indigenous health care in Canada and a hopeful testament to the power of truth and memory as a force for positive change.
shelflifebooks.ca