Research

Read the 2022-23 AFA Annual Report

We invite you to read the 2022-2023 AFA Annual Report, which includes our accomplishments during the last fiscal year, a summary of grants awarded, financial statements, and the AFA Board’s membership and responsibilities.

Key highlights from the report:

The AFA’s funding priorities in 2022-23 were to continue to provide stable support for Alberta’s arts organizations and to maintain funding levels for programs that support individual artists.

  • With the removal of public health measures in June 2022, the AFA managed increased funding demand in 2022-23 as the sector returned to pre-pandemic levels of arts activities.

The AFA continued to support equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in the arts and through the arts.

  • The 2022 cycle of the AFA’s Organization Activation Projects grant program focused on EDIA. In March 2023, the AFA approved more than $242,000 to support EDIA projects being undertaken in Alberta

In March 2023, the government appointed Paul R. Baay as Chair and four new board members: Le Bo (Vice Chair), Robert Fernandez, Sylvester Ndumbi, and Shana Yang.

Funding

Through its grant programs, the AFA administered $23.0 million to Alberta’s arts sector.

  • The AFA provided 386 operating grants and 223 project grants to organizations totaling $19.5 million.
  • The AFA provided 242 grants to artists working in a variety of artistic disciplines totaling $2.5 million.

Art collection

The AFA art collection acquired 106 new pieces: 44 purchases and 62 donations.

  • Through the Art Acquisition by Application program, the AFA purchased 41 artworks by 32 artists, 9 of whom were not previously represented in the AFA Art Collection.

The AFA’s Travelling Exhibition (TREX) program visited 180 venues and saw 401,719 visitors.

Research and engagement

On September 2022, the AFA marked the 50th Anniversary of the AFA Art Collection by announcing the production of a video series that promotes the AFA’s Art Collection and the art and artists within Alberta.

  • The AFA Art Collection is the largest, most active, and one of the oldest of 16 provincially owned art collections.

In October 2022, the AFA hosted engagement sessions to gather input and feedback from Alberta’s arts community that could be used to inform the AFA’s next three-year strategic plan.

In early 2023, the AFA was honoured to select 15 recipients from Alberta's arts community to receive Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medals.

  • Two presentation ceremonies were held in Edmonton on January 30, 2023, and in Calgary on February 2, 2023, where the AFA presented the medals to the recipients.
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Arts Impact Alberta 2014

Arts Impact Alberta 2014: Ripple Effects from the Arts Sector, provides an update to the original Arts Impact Alberta report creating a comprehensive seven-year snapshot of the impacts and activities of the organizations that receive operational funding from the AFA.

Arts Impact 2014 demonstrates the positive and powerful contributions arts organizations make to Albertans’ quality of life. These contributions are reflected in a variety of important ways: simply put, the arts matter to Albertans; the arts matter to volunteers; and, the arts matter to the economy.

The AFA believes the arts sector plays an integral role in Alberta’s cultural fabric; Arts Impact 2014 continues to tell the story of the passionate, committed and productive nature of the arts sector.

Download the Arts Impact Alberta 2014: Ripples from the Arts Sector report; share the report with the people in your community and in doing so, tell the story of how important the arts sector is to Alberta's cultural and economic fabric!

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Arts Impact Alberta 2014 is a comprehensive seven-year snapshot of the impacts and activities of the organizations that receive funding from the AFA.

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Arts Impact Alberta 2014 is a comprehensive seven-year snapshot of the impacts and activities of the organizations that receive funding from the AFA.

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Arts Impact Alberta 2014 is a comprehensive seven-year snapshot of the impacts and activities of the organizations that receive funding from

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Spotlight on Arts Audiences - Wave 2 Results

The AFA is supporting a two-year research project conducted by Stone-Olafson on current engagement of arts audiences in Alberta. We are pleased to share the second set of results ("Wave 2").

This work was developed for the arts sector exclusively and is designed to provide specific, relevant, and reliable facts to support the leaders in the arts sector as they seek to understand their audiences and grow attendance.

Key topic areas for Wave 2 include:

  • Exploring arts audiences' engagement and general perceptions
  • Understanding audiences’ preferences for content, programming, and ticket purchasing
  • Understanding opportunities for increasing support and engagement through fund development

Results

Watch the team from Stone-Olafson report on the findings from the first wave of research in the Spotlight on Arts Audiences project

Download the reports:

About the project

The AFA has partnered with the Rozsa FoundationCalgary Arts DevelopmentCalgary FoundationEdmonton Arts Council, and Edmonton Community Foundation, to support the Spotlight on Arts Audiences research project. The work will survey arts-inclined audiences in Calgary, Edmonton, and across the province to provide data that is useful and timely for arts leaders and organizations three times per year over the next two years.

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Second set of results of a long-term study on understanding Alberta arts audiences. Watch a presentation of the report.

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Spotlight on Arts Audiences - Wave 2 Results
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Second set of results of a long-term study on understanding Alberta arts audiences. Watch a presentation of the report.

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Second set of results of a long-term study on understanding Alberta arts audiences. Watch a presentation of the report.

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Spotlight on Arts Audiences - Wave 1 Results

The AFA is supporting a two-year research project conducted by Stone-Olafson on current engagement of arts audiences in Alberta. We are pleased to share the first set of results ("Wave 1").

This work was developed for the arts sector exclusively and is designed to provide specific, relevant, and reliable facts to support the leaders in the arts sector as they seek to understand their audiences and grow attendance.

Key topic areas for Wave 1 include:

  • understanding current behaviours, habits, and patterns
  • understanding current attitudes and perceptions towards the arts
  • understanding barriers to engagement and support
  • exploring programming and communication preferences
  • understanding perceptions of value

Results

Watch the team from Stone-Olafson report on the findings from the first wave of research in the Spotlight on Arts Audiences project

Download the reports:

About the project

The AFA has partnered with the Rozsa FoundationCalgary Arts DevelopmentCalgary FoundationEdmonton Arts Council, and Edmonton Community Foundation, to support the Spotlight on Arts Audiences research project. The work will survey arts-inclined audiences in Calgary, Edmonton, and across the province to provide data that is useful and timely for arts leaders and organizations three times per year over the next two years.

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Sticky at top of newsfeed
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Article teaser

First set of results of a long-term study on understanding Alberta arts audiences. Watch a presentation of the report.

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Spotlight on Arts Audiences - Wave 1 Results
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First set of results of a long-term study on understanding Alberta arts audiences.

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Spotlight on Arts Audiences - Wave 1 Results
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First set of results of a long-term study on understanding Alberta arts audiences.

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