The Southern Alberta Art Gallery Maansiksikaitsitapiitsinikssin invites you to join us for an artist statement writing workshop led by acclaimed writer and art historian Aruna D’Souza. Participants will learn the essentials of artist statements and writing about their work from. Participants are encouraged to bring their own writing for review and edits. This tour is free for members. For non-members regular admission applies.
If program cost presents a barrier, please contact Heather Kehoe, Program & Events Coordinator, hkehoe@saag.ca
Aruna D'Souza writes about modern and contemporary art, intersectional feminisms, and diasporic aesthetics. Her work appears regularly in 4Columns, The New York Times, and in numerous artist’s monographs and exhibition catalogues. Whitewalling: Art, Race, and Protest in 3 Acts was named one of the best art books of 2018 by the New York Times. Recent editorial projects include Linda Nochlin’s Making It Modern: Essays on the Art of the Now and Lorraine O’Grady’s Writing in Space 1973-2018; she co-curated the retrospective “Lorraine O’Grady: Both/And” at the Brooklyn Museum in 2021. She is the recipient of the 2021 Rabkin Prize for art journalism and a 2019 Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant. She was appointed the Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor at the National Gallery of Art in 2022, and the W.W. Corcoran Professor of Social Engagement at the Corcoran School of Art, George Washington University, in 2022-2023. Her most recent book, Imperfect Solidarities was published in 2024.
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The SAAG invites you to join us for an artist statement writing workshop led by acclaimed writer and art historian Aruna D’Souza
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Artist Statement Workshop with Aruna D’Souza
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The SAAG invites you to join us for an artist statement writing workshop led by acclaimed writer and art historian Aruna D’Souza
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Artist Statement Workshop with Aruna D’Souza
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The SAAG invites you to join us for an artist statement writing workshop led by acclaimed writer and art historian Aruna D’Souza
#GivingTuesday is the world’s largest generosity movement. Last year, Canadians gave $53.8 million dollars in 24 hours. Make sure your organization is ready to join the movement on December 3, 2024 with a Crowdfunding Alberta campaign!
Crowdfunding Alberta is an online fundraising program developed specifically for Alberta’s non-profit/voluntary sector organizations.
Through Crowdfunding Alberta, 50% of donations made to campaigns, within 8-weeks of launching online, will be matched by government up to $5,000 per organization per year (April 1 – March 31).
Crowdfunding Alberta uses government match funding to entice donors to support Alberta-based non-profit organizations and initiatives while connecting Alberta’s non-profit organizations with a wider network of supporters.
Match funding is proven to not only encourage people to give - but to give more generously. Since launching in November 2021, Crowdfunding Alberta has helped Alberta’s non-profits earn over $1.5 million in donations and match funding.
With the giving season – the most generous time of year – right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get started on your first or next Crowdfunding Alberta campaign.
Submissions are now open to participate in our Annual Spring Art Exhibition & Sale on April 26 & 27, 2025. We encourage all painters, sculptors, photographers, ceramic, glass, jewelry and textiles artists to apply now to participate in our upcoming juried show.
Applications are reviewed on a first come, first-served rolling basis and artists are notified of their participation within 1-6 weeks.
Accepted artists will pay a non-refundable participation fee of $100.00. Beacon Original Art will retain 20% of each artist’s total sales.
The deadline to submit is March 29 for both indoor and outdoor display space.
Please visit Artist Submissions to review an application / contract and more details. Join us in our 16th year of bringing artists and art enthusiasts together in Calgary.
Thanks very much for your consideration, we look forward to reviewing your applications!
Tammy and Stephen
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Apply Now - Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, Ceramic, Glass, Jewelry and Textiles Artists
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Call for Submissions | Beacon Original Art Spring Exhibition & Sale
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Apply Now - Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, Ceramic, Glass, Jewelry and Textiles Artists
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Call for Submissions | Beacon Original Art Sale
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Apply Now - Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, Ceramic, Glass, Jewelry and Textiles Artists
This class action lawsuit, brought forward by Waddell Phillips PC, was brought on behalf of all persons who attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) School from 1984 to 2015 who were photographed by Bruce Monk in a private setting, and the dependents of those students.
The AFA is sharing information about this lawsuit in the case that the resolution of this suit affects any members of Alberta's dance community.
All information contained within this news post was accurate as of January 5, 2022. Please find the most recent details about this suit on Waddell Phillips PC website (click on the 'updates' tab).
Content warning: sexual exploitation and non-consensual photo sharing
This class action alleges that Bruce Monk, while a teacher and photographer at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, took naked, semi-naked, and sexualized photographs of Royal Winnipeg Ballet students, some of which he published, sold, and disseminated on-line. It is alleged that Monk did this without the consent of the class members.
The parties have reached a settlement of this action, subject to the approval of the court.
The settlement approval hearing will be taking place on February 11, 2022. Those who would like to watch the proceedings online, please contact Waddell Phillips PC directly.
Sexual assault support services
Non-consensual photo sharing is not ok. For specific online information and support around non-consensual photo sharing, please visit needhelpnow.ca
Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence can provide assistance in finding sexual assault support services (9 am to 9 pm daily):
Statistics Canada, Canada Council for the Arts and Canadian Heritage invite you to participate in a pilot study on Everyday Well-being. The data will provide insights to understand Canadians’ well-being and how activities, particularly arts and culture activities, can play a part in enhancing emotional and mental resilience. The data could potentially help develop federal programs and services to enhance Canadians’ lives.
Anyone over the age of 15 with a mobile device is encouraged to participate. Participation includes downloading the Vitali-T-Stat app on your mobile device (Android or Apple).
Survey closes March 31, 2022.
Contact information: Monday to Friday (except holidays), 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Time):
This research was conducted in six waves over the course of 2020 and 2021. This is a community resource that is FREE to access and results from the sixth wave of research are now available.
Findings for Alberta organizations from Wave 6 results include:
Comfort has developed into a very predictable pattern that follows case numbers and now vaccine rates.
Albertans will return at their own pace; participation hinges on personal comfort but also personal risk tolerance.
There is a consensus that there will be less of a return to “normal” but rather a new way of doing things moving forward.
Because Albertans have spent the past year and half discovering new things to do, the selection of what they can choose from now is quite vast.
Spending habits are in flux, and at this point it is difficult to predict where Albertans will direct their money in the short term.
What are the implications for Alberta organizations?
Even as restrictions have been removed, organizations still need to deal with comfort. As it stands, there is clear hesitancy in the audience and it will be important to communicate safety measures to make audiences comfortable when re-engaging.
Organizations should keep in mind that public sentiment is a more useful barometer over government announcements. Gauging expectations for increased participation to occur will be based on a combination of comfort and risk tolerance.
Organizations should expect more permanent (structural) changes to stick around – specifically related to organizational transparency, flexibility with refunds, new payment options, etc. These should be things that organizations consider keeping even if they are no longer required by the government.
The main consideration for organizations remains flexibility – in terms of payment options, participation options, etc. This will allow for consideration on different levels as Albertans suss out how they want to direct their spending.
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is pleased to be a funding partner in this collaboration with Stone-Olafson and other community leaders to develop a long-term research investigation and evaluate how current conditions will reshape Albertans’ attitudes and behaviours towards social and group activities, across a variety of sectors. The purpose of this work is to give leaders of community sports, recreation, arts and culture, professional sports, active living, heritage, tourism or hospitality sectors relevant facts about local audiences that they will need to bring life back to our communities.
On November 17, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the 2021 winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks). Inuk writer, Dr. Norma Dunning, who is based in Edmonton, Alberta, has been awarded the English-language fiction prize for her short story collection Tainna: The Unseen Ones.
About the writer
On top of being a writer, Dr. Norma Dunning is also a scholar, researcher, professor and grandmother. Her previous short story collection, Annie Muktuk and Other Stories (University of Alberta Press, 2017), received the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, the Howard O’Hagan Award for short stories and the Bronze Foreword INDIES award for short stories.
About the book
Six powerful short stories centred on modern-day Inuk characters are woven together in Tainna. Dr. Dunning drew on both lived experience and cultural memory, to write Tainna—meaning “the unseen ones” and pronounced Da‑e‑nn‑a.
The 14 best books of 2021 published in Canada, were selected by peer assessment committees that chose award winners from 70 finalists in seven categories, in both English and in French.
Jenna Butler (Barrhead, Alberta) was listed as finalist for Revery: A Year of Bees under the English-language non-fiction category.
Founded in 1936, the Governor General's Literary Awards are among Canada's oldest and most prestigious prizes for literature. There are seven categories, awarded in both French and English, with $25,000 going to each winning book.
The Arts Professions Recognition Act will endorse the importance of contracts when engaging artists for services and will ensure artists are paid fairly. The legislation will also encourage greater respect for freedom of expression, the arts and artists as professionals and their associations.
“The act recognizes that art inspires, defines who we are, and passes our culture from one generation to the next. Alberta’s culture is unique to Canada, and our province’s creative and cultural industries are an important part of our life as a community. Art is valuable work and artists deserve fair payment in order to secure their economic future. Through legislation, our government is clearly stating art is an important economic driver that creates jobs and helps with our economic, social and emotional recovery.” Ron Orr, Minister of Culture
“The arts sector has been and continues to be one of the most impacted by COVID, so this legislation is very timely. We need to put artists back to work and ensure they receive fair compensation, recognizing that their contribution benefits all Albertans. The arts stimulate the economy and attract investment, improve mental health outcomes, enrich education, and strengthen social cohesion; for these reasons, they certainly deserve this new support.” Mary Rozsa de Coquet, board chair, Alberta Foundation for the Arts
“Artists are skilled and hard-working members of the workforce, and deserve to be paid their worth. CARFAC Alberta welcomes provincial legislation that can support fair compensation and greater economic security for Alberta's professional artists.” Chris Carson, executive director, CARFAC Alberta
The proposed legislation will:
Formally acknowledge artists’ contributions and promote their work and their rights to help make their artistic enterprises profitable.
Emphasize Alberta’s continued commitment to freedom of artistic expression.
Help to protect artists’ economic and contractual rights.
Model the way for private and non-profit employers and contractors in Alberta’s economy, upholding the professional nature of artists’ work.
The Arts Professions Recognition Act is part of the government’s commitment to grow creative and cultural industries in the province by 25 per cent over the next 10 years and is an important part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan.
Quick facts
In 2019, the visual and applied arts and live performance industries contributed approximately $1.3 billion in GDP and sustained nearly 20,000 jobs in Alberta.
According to the 2016 census, there were 44,880 Albertans employed in arts, entertainment and recreation.
The total median individual income of artists in Alberta ($28,500) was 51 per cent lower than that of all Alberta workers ($52,400).
Artists with university credentials at or above the bachelor’s level earn an average of $30,300, which is 55 per cent less than the average earnings of workers in the overall labour force with the same education ($66,500).
According to analysis of the 2016 census by Hill Strategies, there are 13,300 professional artists living in Alberta (the fourth highest population after Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia), accounting for eight per cent of all artists in the country.
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Proposed new legislation will promote greater economic security, freedom of expression and professional recognition for Alberta artists.
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Upholding the value of artists to Alberta | À la défense du rôle des artistes en Alberta
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Proposed new legislation will promote greater economic security, freedom of expression and professional recognition for Alberta artists.
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Upholding the value of artists to Alberta
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Proposed new legislation will promote greater economic security, freedom of expression and professional recognition for Alberta artists.
We're pleased to share a special shout-out to Alberta artists who brought home 2022 Juno awards. Congratulations to all of the incredible artists on their wins:
Maria Dunn: Traditional Roots Album of the Year
She received two AFA Music Individual Project Funding grants for her Joyful Banner Blazing album: art production grant to assist with the recording; and marketing grant for publicity. Catch her live in Leduc and Sherwood Park in 2022/2023.
Andrew Wan: Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble)
Brett celebrates win in his What is Life? album. Catch Brett on tour in Alberta this summer (Calgary and his hometown, St. Paul).
Caity Gyorgy: Vocal Jazz Album of the Year
Originally from Calgary, Catiy won for her EP Now Pronoucing: Caity Gyorgy.
Fawn Wood: Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year
Fawn is a Cree and Salish musician from Saddle Lake who won for her album, Kakike.
Garth Prince: Children's Album of the Year
Edmonton-based African artist won for his Falling in Africa album.
For a complete list of the winners and nominees, check out junoawards.ca. All the best to them on their future endeavours! We're proud of their talents and appreciate their magnificient work for all of us to continually enjoy!
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Congratulations to Alberta Juno Awards 2022 recipients on May 15, 2022!
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Congratulations JUNO Awards recipients!
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Congratulations to Alberta Juno Awards 2022 recipients on May 15, 2022!
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Congratulations JUNO Awards recipients!
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Congratulations to Alberta Juno Awards 2022 recipients on May 15, 2022!
June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada – a time to recognize the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. By reflecting on the past, we can learn more about Indigenous peoples and communities' contributions and sacrifices, and we can walk the path towards reconciliation.
Our Board members, Tom Jackson and Andrea True Joy Fox, created a land acknowledgement video on behalf of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA). Watch below:
The AFA enthusiastically support Indigenous arts as a unique, distinct arts discipline. We collect artworks by Indigenous artists to preserve, exhibit and promote. We encourage all Albertans to learn about the rich culture and artistic expressions of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island.
Participate in upcoming events throughout the province.
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Two moose in geometric multi-color triangles of different shades of green, pink, orange, blue, and purple are in a forest of green trees and hills. The text says "National Indigenous History Month" and "June".
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Learn about the rich history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.
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Celebrate National Indigenous History Month
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Learn about the rich history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.
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Celebrate National Indigenous History Month
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Learn about the rich history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada.
