Free This Week

Dive into one of the many free arts events this week including a unique look into Alberta’s history at The GRAND, puppet-making at Sparrow Artspace, the opening of Particle + Wave Media Arts Festival and more!

Alberta Vocal Arts

March 6, 2024, 12:10 – 1pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1 St. SE)
Free to attend

Alberta Vocal Arts is celebrating strong female characters in opera with Empowered Elegance. In honour of International Women’s Day, they proudly showcase the formidable talents of mezzo soprano Barbara King and soprano Kathleen Morrison, accompanied by the exquisite piano artistry of Mimi Park.
proartssociety.ca

N@N – Tara Vahab: Artistic Legacies, Ancestry and Ownership

March 7, 2024, 12 – 1pm
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (435 Campus Lane NW)
Free to attend

This compelling talk by Tara Vahab delves into the intricate relationship between the economic aspects of resale rights and the profound cultural significance of Indigenous artistic legacies. She unravels the complexities surrounding ownership, exploring how artists, communities and the broader art world can navigate these nuanced intersections.
events.ucalgary.ca

Remembering Alberta’s Sleeping Car Porters

March 7, 2024, 6:30 – 9:30pm
The GRAND (608 1 St. SW)
Free to attend, RSVP required

The local history of porters in Calgary and across the prairies, and the links between their unionization efforts and the development of anti-discrimination organizations in Alberta, is not widely known. Join The GRAND for an evening of memory and music to celebrate Alberta porters within local, national and international history.
thegrandyyc.ca

Free First Thursdays

March 7, 2024, 5 – 9pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required

Contemporary Calgary invites you to explore its galleries, discover Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins’ exhibition Three Dimensions and enjoy curated beats by DJ P.C.A. while indulging in thoughtfully crafted beverages by Sugar Water Bar.
contemporarycalgary.com

Particle + Wave Opening Reception

March 7, 2024, 6pm
EMMEDIA (2005 10 Ave. SW)
Free to attend

Experience the exhibitions of Jose Macasinag, Ahreum Lee, Mark Werklund and Kirk Werklund, and Dylon Klemen-Hurrell and Trevor Mac at the Particle + Wave Media Arts Festival. This year’s exhibition will charm and excite, inviting the community to view and engage with the blend of analog and digital media.
emmedia.ca

Conversations with Joy: A Drop-in Event

March 8, 2024, 6pm
Sparrow Artspace (36 4 St. NE)
Free to attend

Join Sparrow Artspace as Joy Kirkwood and Jennifer Dale Stables engage in conversation, explore materials and create side by side. With Joy’s expert guidance, visitors are invited to participate in meaningful discussions, explore various materials, and bring their own unique and expressive art doll to life.
sparrowartspace.com

AUArts Gallery Crawl

March 8, 2024, 6pm
Alberta University of the Arts (1407 14 Ave. NW)
Free to attend

AUArts Gallery Crawl is a campus-wide semi-annual event to encourage community building, art production, gallery curation and more. The crawl is a chance for students to showcase their work to the internal AUArts community and the Calgary community!
auarts.ca

Sky Sisters

March 8, 2024, 6 – 8pm
Calgary Hellenic Banquet Hall (1 Tamarac Crescent SW)
Free to attend

Join Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) for the debut of its docuseries Sky Sisters. The first episode delves into the world of the Judicial System. The event will be a time to honour our Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG2S) with prayer, honour songs and community.
eventbrite.com

Literary Cafe Pop-Up

March 8, 2024, 1 – 2pm
Taylor Family Digital Library, University of Calgary (1st floor, 434 Collegiate Blvd. NW)
Free to attend

University of Calgary’s Libraries and Cultural Resource’ Literary Cafe Pop-Up is just around the corner, featuring acclaimed UCalgary professor Joshua Whitehead! Join him as reads excerpts from his work and talks about the creative process.
workrooms.ucalgary.ca

Open Studio for 55+

March 8, 2024, 1 – 4pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required

Contemporary Calgary’s Open Studio for 55+ on Fridays in March invites participants to bring projects they are currently engaged in, or ideas and materials for projects, offering the opportunity to work with the support of peers and a facilitator with a background in visual art.
contemporarycalgary.com

Drop-in Puppet Lab

March 9, 2024, 1 – 4pm
Sparrow Artspace (36 4 St. NE)
Free to participate

Discover the boundless possibilities of puppetry at this hands-on Puppet Lab with Jenny Dale Stables. Unleash your creativity as you explore a range of materials including cardboard, wood, wool, wire and found objects. Craft your own unique puppet and bring it to life at on the interactive puppet stage.
sparrowartspace.com

Book Launch — trust the bluer skies by paulo de costa

March 9, 2024, 7pm
Treehouse, cSPACE Marda Loop (4th floor, 1011 9 Ave. SE)
Free to attend, RSVP required

Join Alexandra Writers Centre for an evening of conversation, readings and camaraderie with paulo da costa as he launches his latest literary work, trust the bluer skies, Meditations on Fatherhood — hosted by Richard Harrison.
alexandrawriters.org

Klezmer Jam with Frank Rackow & the Black Sea

March 9, 2024, 2pm
Congress Coffee (Suite #1A, 215 36 Ave. NE)
Free to attend/participate

Frank Rackow and the Black Sea (featuring Allan Merovitz) play infectious Eastern European songs and melodies, mixed with touches of funk, folk and swing. Join them for a concert and then take part in the music making by learning some basic melodies and rhythms of klezmer music.
congresscoffeeyyc.com