Free This Week
Amp up your week with free arts events! Don’t miss a ProArts@Noon concert with Indigenous singer-songwriter Wendy Walker, public presentations of new work by Lunchbox Theatre and Downstage, the launch of The Market @ cSPACE Marda Loop, plus more!
Up Your Alley
Until May 25, 2024
Gallery Level 2, cSPACE Marda Loop (2nd floor, 1721 29 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Canadian artist Gerry Mulhall captures the essence of nature and human experience in his vibrant paintings. His work explores the interplay between the natural and the man-made with bold colours and fluid brushstrokes. Check out his work in the exhibition Up Your Alley!
cspacemardaloop.com
Wendy Walker
May 22, 2024, 12:10 – 1pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1 St. SE)
Free to attend
Wendy Walker is an established singer-songwriter who has been a recognized Indigenous artist for many years now. She is joined for the ProArts@Noon concert by fellow Tribe member Ty Lee Storm!
proartssociety.ca
Triple Book Launch with Kit Dobson, Ben Ghan and Carleigh Baker
May 22, 2024, 7 – 8:30pm
Shelf Life Books (100, 1302 4 St. SW)
Free to attend
Join Shelf Life Books and University of Calgary Press for this special triple book launch. The featured novels are Kit Dobson’s We are Already Ghosts, Ben Ghan’s The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits and Carleigh Baker’s Last Woman. With an introduction by Brave and Brilliant series editor Aritha van Herk.
shelflifebooks.ca
Graphic Novel Launch with Jillian Fleck and Shea Proulx!
May 23, 2024, 7 – 9:00pm
Shelf Life Books (100, 1302 4 St. SW)
Free to attend
Join Shelf Life Books for a combined launch of graphic novels Cheryl by Jillian Fleck and Just Happy To See You by Shea Proulx. Cheryl is about “a late-blooming lesbian hell bent on reaching enlightenment, even if it kills her,” while Just Happy To See You is a conceptual exploration of observation and acceptance through the comic form.
shelflifebooks.ca
Crossing Mountains and Seas
May 23 – 26, 2024
Motel Theatre, Arts Commons (205 8 Ave. SE)
Free to attend, RSVP required
As part of the Downstage’s Simon Mallett New Work Program, Crossing Mountains and Seas is an experimental piece on ancient Chinese myths and Immigration history. Check out the first public presentations of this work!
downstage.ca
Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work
May 24, 2024, 12noon
Online or in-person at The Amphitheatre, Calgary Tower Convention Centre
Free to attend, registration required
Lunchbox Theatre continues its dedication to the creation, development and production of new Canadian one-act plays. Attend free workshop readings of some of these works and help shape the new plays that will grace the Lunchbox stage in years to come.
lunchboxtheatre.com
Open Studio for 55+
May 24, 2024, 1 – 4pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required
Contemporary Calgary’s Open Studio for 55+ on Fridays in May invites participants to bring projects they are currently engaged in, or ideas and materials for projects, for an opportunity to work with the support of peers and a facilitator with a background in visual art.
contemporarycalgary.com
Spring/Summer Exhibition Launch
May 24, 2024, 6 – 9pm
Esker Foundation (4th floor, 1011 9 Ave SE)
Free to attend
Join Esker Foundation to celebrate the launch of their spring/summer exhibition Deanna Bowen: Black Drones in the Hive, curated by Crystal Mowry. The exhibition reveals the strategic erasures which have enabled Canadian canons such as the Group of Seven to exist without question or complication.
eskerfoundation.com
Community Corner: Sunny’s Question Screening
May 25, 2024, 10am
Memorial Park Library (1221 2 St. SW)
Free to attend
Join Calgary Black Film Festival for an unique, kid-friendly screening, portraying talented local kids coming from all backgrounds. Help shape an inclusive and diverse future, one scene at the time!
facebook.com
The Market at cSPACE
May 25, 2024, 10am – 2pm
cSPACE Marda Loop (1721 29 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Welcome to The Market at cSPACE Marda Loop. Calgary’s newest inner-city market features live music, free kids’ activities led by the artists and teachers of Jube School, and some favourite market vendors. Join them for launch day!
cspacemardaloop.com
Welcome to The Confluence Open House
May 25, 2024, 11am – 3pm
The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (750 9 Ave. SE)
Free to attend, registration required
The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (formerly Fort Calgary) is excited to share its new name, brand and what it does! Enjoy the drummers and dancers, Indigenous-led talks, walking tours, gardening activities, kids’ crafts and games, and more!
theconfluence.ca
Easy Days Pop-Up Market
May 25, 2024, 12 – 5pm
RiverWalk Plaza (just north of 632 Confluence Way SE)
Free to explore
Easy Days Pop-Up Markets are back in East Village! Hosted by All Things GQ, these markets showcase local designers, artists, creators, clothing curators and more. With a full day of local businesses, live music and food trucks, these markets are free to attend and open to all!
instagram.com
Summer of Legacy: Creative Corner
May 25, 2024, 12 – 4pm
(408, 422 Legacy Cir. SE)
Free to attend
Join WestCreek Developments in Legacy to turn the outside into your canvas with an outdoor colouring book by local chalk artist Rozzie Lee. Get set for an afternoon packed with fun crafts and yummy snacks!
legacylife.ca
Summer of Legacy: Creative Corner
May 25 & 26, 2024, 2 – 4pm
BMO Community Room, Calgary Central Library (Level 0, 800 3 St. SE)
Free to attend, registration required
Celebrate the art of the ten-minute play! Enjoy dynamic short performances of new works from playwrights and theatre artists in this staged reading showcase. Presented by Rona Altrows, Lisa Murphy-Lamb, and Ethan Cole.
calgarylibrary.ca
Klezmer Jam with Frank Rackow
May 26, 2024, 2pm
Congress Coffee (1A, 215 36 Ave. NE)
Free to attend
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
Antyx Youth Programming
Ongoing
Various venues
Free to participate
Antyx Community Arts invites youth ages 12 – 18 to participate in a number of their programs focused on providing safe spaces for creative expression including their mural projects, Youth Arts Action, The Film Lab and more!
antyx.ca
Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
