• Location Various Venues 
• Price Prices Vary

December might be a busy time of year but there’s still plenty of art to check out including show and sales, receptions, pop-ups, and so much more. Be sure to cap off the year on a high note with these great visual arts events.

Contemporary Kids

December 1, 2019, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
$10

Collider artist-in-resident Shea Proulx leads participants through a DIY comic publishing workshop. Using a variety of mediums, build your own comic-zine and learn how to self-publish your work. This family event is a great chance to learn about the basics of visual storytelling.
eventbrite.ca

Northern Reflections

December 1 – 31, 2019
Various venues
Free admission

Buds Collective has once again paired local businesses with artists and animators to bring Calgarians a unique opportunity to participate in an immersive art experience. Celebrate the magic of wintertime and search out painted windows with the help of the AUGLE app.
facebook.com

Art Baby Tours

December 4, 2019, 10:00am
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
$5

Designed to allow parents and caregivers of children aged two and under an opportunity to engage with Glenbow’s content in a baby friendly environment, this guided tour goes through the fascinating Gerald Ferguson exhibition in a relaxed, social atmosphere. Don’t miss it!
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Mini Masters

December 5, 2019, 11:00 – 11:45am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required

A workshop series for children aged three to five that explores themes in the current exhibitions through art making, movement, and play, each month you can discover new mediums and techniques in all art forms.
eventbrite.ca

Free First Thursday Nights

December 5, 2019, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Since its launch in 2016, Free First Thursday Nights has provided an evening of free access to Glenbow each and every month. Be sure to swing by to check out the dynamic linocuts of Sybil Andrews, the textural delights of Gerald Ferguson, the multi-artist exhibition ExtraOrdinary Objects, and new work by Nicole Kelly Westman.
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Kimono Life Drawing

December 5 & 7, 2019
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission, registration required

Join the Illingworth Kerr Gallery for these unique sessions hosted by Noah Richardson and Chichi Kimono. Participants are welcome to bring sketchbooks, pencils, pens, watercolour block palettes, portable watercolour brushes, and brush pens to create their own works within the gallery space.
facebook.com

Under $100 Art Show

December 5 – 8, 2019
Pop-Up Location (4009 11th St. SE)
$5 – $10

This awesome show features nearly 100 local artists, and thousands of pieces of original art—all priced under $100! It runs for four days only and will be your only opportunity to get some of these pieces for that incredible price. You can even sign up for an art tour for a behind-the-scenes look.
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Bring the Baby Art Tour & Tummy Time

December 6, 2019, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required

Start with a casual half-hour tour followed by a half-hour of tummy time social fun for the little ones on Yvonne Mullock’s extraordinary interactive sensory blanket, this afternoon is always a fun time for parents and tots alike.
eventbrite.ca

Local Art & Book Sale

December 6, 2019, 4:00 – 9:00pm
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Loft 112 presents evening of art and books to satisfy your eye and Christmas wish list. Artworks inspired by poetry are available to purchase alongside publications from Loft on EIGHTH, New Forum Magazine, and Stonehouse Publishing.
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Not So Mini Exhibition and Sale

December 6 – 21, 2019
Alberta Printmakers Gallery and Studio (4025 4th St. SE)
Free admission

With an exciting variety of submissions that showcase the range of techniques, styles, and experimentation, Alberta Printmakers’ print exchange is open to local, national, and international artists working in print media. Don’t miss the opening reception and silent auction fundraiser on December 6.
albertaprintmakers.com

Market Collective

December 6 – 8, 13 – 15 & 20 – 22, 2019
BMO Centre, Stampede Park (20 Roundup Way SE)
$6

Visitors to this year’s family-friendly event can anticipate three weekends of live music, interactive workshops, galleries, food and beverage, over 150 local vendors, and so much more. It’s the perfect time to get your shopping done. Kids 12 and under admitted free and your admission is good all weekend.
marketcollective.ca

Backgrounding

December 6, 2019 – January 25, 2020
The Edge Gallery (1416 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Philip Kanwischer and Chloe Kinsella present a selection of their collaborative projects. Combining their individual material explorations and shared experiences of time spent in the wild, this show is made up of camouflaged forms against natural backdrops.
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Northern Reflections Walking Tour

December 7, 2019, 2:00 – 4:00pm
Meet at Elveden Centre (707 7th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Join Buds Collective for a walking tour of the augmented reality murals popping up around the city this December. The tour ends at Cococo Chocolatiers where walking tour participants will be offered free hot chocolate. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and bring good shoes.
facebook.com

Annual Christmas Group Show

December 7 – 24, 2019
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Find an exciting selection of works by several of the gallery’s artists. Full of fabulous stocking stuffers for that hard-to-buy for person in your life, this annual show includes works from Linda Nardelli, Nancy Boyd, Amy Modahl, Simon Andrew, Jim Stokes, Harold Town, Diana Zasadny, William Duma, Toni Onley, Dorothy Knowles, Clint Hunker, and more!
wallacegalleries.com

Deck The Walls

December 7 – 31, 2019
Knox Contemporary Gallery of Art (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free admission

Deck The Walls is a contemporary art exhibition by artists including Chlan Grant, Jane Lochrie, Mao (Kun) Chen, J. Broz, Laura Erdman, Nuit, Janie Lockwood, Matt Trinh (AKA “Hawk”), Keegan Karlsen, Terry Gregoraschuk, and the provocative work by TAG. Be sure to swing by.
knoxgalleryofart.com

Dynamic Environment

December 8, 2019, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free admission, registration required

Dynamic Environment artist Peter von Tiesenhausen discusses his most recent works created as part of the Watershed+ artist-in-residence with Calgary Water Services. Hear how he responded to the challenges stemming from the most recent Calgary flood in collaboration with city engineers and Parks staff.
eventbrite.ca

Dialogue with a Bone Teacup

December 9, 2019 – February 29, 2020
Ledge Gallery, Arts Commons (205 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission

The result of Elijah Wells’ research into Blackfoot story archives such as winter counts and story robes, this investigation is also an exploration discovery of Blackfoot visual language. An artist reception takes place from 5:30 to 8:30pm on February 28 so mark your calendars.
artscommons.ca

Print(ed) Word Salon Series

December 10, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Central Library (800 3rd St. SE)
Free admission

Join authors and artists for a series of presentations exploring their writing, art, and the process of collaborating. This month, hear writer Jani Krulc and artist Ryan Statz discuss their artist book, Farm Hand.
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A Closer Look Tour: Gerald Ferguson

December 11, 2019, 1:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission

Take a guided tour of Gerald Ferguson’s work. This pioneering Canadian artist painted his “task-oriented” canvases by rolling black paint on canvas laid over objects such as garden hoses, doormats, and ash cans.
facebook.com

Spark After Dark

December 12, 2019, 5:00 – 10:00pm
TELUS Spark (220 St. George’s Dr. NE)
With admission

Spark After Dark is an adults-only experience featuring drinks in test tubes, rad tunes, exclusive speakers, and the chance to travel on an anatomical safari under the skin, fur, and feathers of over 100 specimens in the current exhibition, Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out. Be sure to bring your ID for this 18+ evening.
sparkscience.ca

Discussions in Contemporary Art

December 12, 2019, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required

Continuing this new informal lecture series, guest speakers present on different aspects of contemporary art and practice. This month features Sarah Alford, an Assistant Professor in Craft History and Theory at the Alberta University of the Arts, and a practicing artist.
eventbrite.ca

Trevor Wignall’s First & Last Solo Exhibition

December 13 – 21, 2019
Artpoint Gallery & Studios Society (1038 17th Ave. SE)
Pay-what-you-can

Trevor Wignall’s life has ended but his paintings and drawings live on. Explore his works at an opening reception, 6:00 to 9:00pm on December 13, or at a closing reception on December 21 from 2:00 to 5:00pm. Proceeds from this pay-what-you-can exhibition will be used to establish a scholarship for a mature student at the Alberta University of the Arts.
facebook.com

Paint with Alpacas

December 14, 2019, 10:00am – 12:00pm & 1:00 – 3:00pm
Color Me Mine Kensington (334 14th St. NW)
Prices vary

Choose from a large variety of different pottery pieces to paint and take pictures, pet, and cozy up with friendly alpacas. Tickets include time with alpacas, studio time, paint colours, use of stencils, glazing, firing, and, of course, warm, lovable, and adorable fun.
placefull.com

Powerful Because They’re Different

December 14, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission

This tour with Naomi Potter explores craft as a strategy used by Jeffrey Gibson and Nep Sidhu to navigate past and present traumas, offer space for resilience or reconciliation, and propose future trajectories of healing.
facebook.com

All of the Above

December 14, 2019 – January 25, 2020
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Christine Klassen Gallery’s holiday show is an eclectic and playful mix of new work by CKG artists. Join them for a seasonal celebration with their artists and be the first to see new inventory for 2020. Featured artists include Karrie Arthurs, Ben Cope, Rocio Graham, France Jodoin, Lori Lukasewich, Robert Pierce, Michael Schreiner, and Carl White. An opening reception runs from 1:00 to 4:00pm on December 14.
christineklassengallery.com

Master Class for Families

December 15, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required

An afternoon of family fun delving into new mediums with art projects and activities, this is a fun and educational program where kids aged five to 10 have the opportunity to respond creatively to the work featured in the gallery space.
eventbrite.ca

Christmas Couture Workshop

December 17, 2019, 6:30 – 9:30pm
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
$55 – $60

Take advantage of having one of the world’s great floral designers—Lea Romanowski—help you create your own fresh and gorgeous wearable Christmas couture fashion piece in this creative workshop at the Lougheed House.
facebook.com

Language Open House

December 20, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Join the Esker team and volunteer family for a multi-language open house. Volunteers fluent in a diverse range of languages will be available to answer questions about the gallery and the current exhibitions.
eskerfoundation.com

Ongoing Exhibitions

Art Calgary

Until December 1, 2019
Mona Lisa Art Salon (1510 7th St. SW)
Free admission

See 16 local artists at this curated, gallery style event where visitors can view the artwork and to speak with the artists who create it. All work is for sale and admission is free so don’t miss Calgary’s professional art fair.
artcalgary.ca

Home Grown

Until December 4, 2019
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free admission

This exhibition illustrates the diversity and talent in our province with works by William Duma, Robin Smith-Peck, Jim Stokes, Robert Lemay, Diana Zasadny, and more.
wallacegalleries.com

50

Until December 7, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Chris Kuzmanovich is a Calgary-based creative whose work in design naturally led to his pursuit of art when he began painting as a self-reflexive practice over 10 years ago.
christineklassengallery.com

Duality

Until December 7, 2019
Christine Klassen Gallery (200, 321 50th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Lisa Matthias believes that all living things are part of a larger assemblage, emphasized by the recognition of patterns and relatedness across species and scales of life.
christineklassengallery.com

I’ll climb in your eyes

Until December 14, 2019
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission

With the work of Mark Mullin, there is always more than meets the eye. Organized by Nickle Galleries and curated by Christine Sowiak with support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, don’t miss this show!
nickle.ucalgary.ca

Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project

Until December 14, 2019
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free admission

Turning the Lens: Indigenous Archive Project is a photography/history exhibition, a naming project, a social media campaign, and an opportunity contemplate the role of galleries, museums, and archives across Canada. The exhibition is the result of a long-standing social media and research project undertaken by Paul Seesequasis, a Plains Cree writer, journalist, and cultural activist based in Saskatoon.
nickle.ucalgary.ca

The Butter Dish

Until December 14, 2019
Alberta Craft Gallery – Calgary, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Dawn Deterando uses her ceramics expertise to curate a diverse selection of over 20 butter dishes. This exhibition demonstrates the variety of processes and techniques that artists ‘churn’ out from their studios.
albertacraft.ab.ca

Like the winter snow kills the grass, the summer sun revives it

Until December 14, 2019
TRUCK Contemporary Art (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Curated by Missy LeBlanc, this exhibition centres and celebrates Indigenous ways of knowing and language revitalization. Featuring works by Joi T. Arcand, Richelle Bear Hat, Susan Blight, Tsēmā Igharas, Michelle Sylliboy, and Alberta Rose W, we’re looking forward to checking it out.
truck.ca

The Characters: Act I

Until December 14, 2019
EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society (2005 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Presented by Untitled Art Society, Erdem Taşdelen’s audio installation follows the self-indulgent, occasionally frenetic, and always mordantly humorous narratives of 10 stock characters.
uascalgary.org

The Nature of Light

Until December 21, 2019
Ruberto Ostberg Gallery (2108 18th St. NW)
Free admission

Anna Ostberg is acutely aware of the sun from dawn to dusk and has an emotional response to it. In The Nature of Light she attempts to capture the luminosity of the sun as it dances in and out of the trees and alters its surroundings.
facebook.com

A Portrait Show

Until December 21, 2019
VIVIANEART (1114 11th St. SW)
Free admission

Today’s portrait artists have an opportunity to impact current considerations of identity. The five artists included in this group exhibition, Alex Bierk, Erik Olson, Kris Knight, Tyler Bright Hilton, and Winnie Truong, are all impactful Canadian art influencers in their own right.
vivianeart.gallery

Matrilineal Threads

Until December 21, 2019
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free admission

Consisting of large yarn sculptures and a crocheted bodysuit, the work explores Kasie Campbell’s relationship with her late mother, Ginette Lund, and the ways in which women can relate to themselves respective of their mothers.
thenewgallery.org

Five Hole

Until December 21, 2019
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Curtis Cutshaw’s latest exhibit, Five Hole, features new paintings inspired by Canada’s favourite sport, hockey. Be sure to swing by to see this very cool show.
herringerkissgallery.com

Spectral

Until December 21, 2019
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Materially lustrous, Sara Robichaud’s new series of paintings combine processes and ideas that embody the physicality of formalist painting, and invite imaginative, playful interpretation.
herringerkissgallery.com

Thing to Wear

Until December 24, 2019
Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts (1407 14th Ave. NW)
Free admission

Thing to Wear is a collection of kimono-inspired garments created by students, staff, faculty, and alumni from the Alberta University of the Arts under the guidance of Associate Professor Bill Morton. Be sure to check out special programming including a gallery tour, technical demonstrations by AUArts fibre majors, and a talk on historical context and panel garments from Japan.
ikg.acad.ca

Nicole Kelly Westman: Pastoral | Calamity

Until January 5, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission

The 10th installment in curator Nancy Tousley’s ongoing series One New Work features two short works by Alberta multi-media artist and poet, Nicole Kelly Westman. The exhibition features moving-image works, for every sunset we haven’t seen and for nights bathed in sodium vapour.
glenbow.org

Unravelling Identities

Until January 6, 2020
HUB @ 302 (302, 1235 26th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Diana Ohiozebau is a visual artist and currently in the MA program in history of art, design and visual culture at the University of Alberta. Be sure to explore her solo show!
albertasocietyofartists.com

A Natural Progression

Until January 11, 2020
Newzones Gallery (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Considering the layering of surfaces and repeated applications of varnish as a way of exaggerating the qualities of the passing of time, be sure to check out this solo exhibition by Peter Hoffer.
newzones.com

Deck the Walls

Until January 11, 2020
Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art (730 11th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Ever evolving, Deck the Walls is always a seasonal highlight and features an entire wall of small-to-medium sized artworks, perfect for gift-giving this holiday season. A salon-inspired exhibition to entice viewers to give the spectacular gift of art for the holidays, there is always something for everyone.
newzones.com

ExtraOrdinary Objects

Until January 12, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission

From linoleum to drywall, dead flowers to toilet paper, ordinary, disposal, and perishable objects serve as the point of departure for the array of contemporary artworks found in ExtraOrdinary Objects.
glenbow.org

Gerald Ferguson

Until January 12, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission

Pioneering Canadian artist Gerald Ferguson used quotidian materials to create striking, large-scale paintings that speak to the poetics of everyday life. The titles of his artworks literally describe what the artist used to make them—just wait until you see the monumental multi-panel painting 1,000,000 Grapes.
glenbow.org

Sybil Andrews: Art and Life

Until January 12, 2020
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
With admission

This major retrospective celebrates the fascinating life and remarkable career of artist Sybil Andrews. Glenbow is the major study centre for the life and work of this beloved English-Canadian printmaker.
glenbow.org

Soft Bodied Oddities

Until January 18, 2020
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Featuring powerful new work by Laura Findlay and Corri-Lynn Tetz, each begins their process for the painted image from a different point of departure. The exhibition explores the theme of empowerment.
jarvishallgallery.com

Iitsi’poyi

Until January 26, 2020
Project Space, Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Marjie Crop Eared Wolf continues her ongoing project to learn Blackfoot in the drawing, sound, and video installation, Iitsi’poyi. Using thousands of Blackfoot words transcribed from the Blackfoot Dictionary as well as an audio tape made by her mother, this work addresses cultural legacy and resilience by actively engaging in language preservation.
eskerfoundation.com

Honouring the Passage

Until February 1, 2020
Artpoint Gallery & Studios Society (1038 17th Ave. SE)
Free admission

An exhibition of collaborative etchings and paintings by Calgary artist, Carole Bondaroff, and her late mother, Francis Gurevitch Bondaroff, swing by on Saturdays for printmaking demonstrations and talks on this multi-generational exhibit.
artpoint.ca

Images of Rapture

Until March 6, 2020
Centre Street CTrain Station (7th Ave. & 1st St. SE)
Free admission

Molly Caldwell explores the ecstatic in vapid and all that is ostentatious yet somehow joyful for it. It channels the sticky sweetness of hair stuck in lip gloss as you flip through a glossy magazine and rub the perfume ads on your wrist.
uascalgary.org

Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out

Until March 1, 2020
TELUS Spark (220 St. Georges Dr. NE)
With admission

See the world’s most spectacular animals like never before! This rarely seen perspective guides visitors through skeletons, muscles, organs, and circulatory systems of a variety of animals.
sparkscience.ca

Have a visual arts event that’s not listed above? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.