• Location Various Venues 
• Price Free

Looking for a way to get out and about without breaking the bank? Calgary’s arts community always has great free events to check out and this week gives you the chance to explore galleries, hear music, and so much more. Grab your calendar and start filling it up!

Collegium Musicum

March 4, 2020, 12:10 – 12:50pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free admission

For this lunch hour concert, hear the Collegium Musicum students share some of their favourite solos, duets, and choruses from the University of Calgary production of The Fairy Queen. Accompanied by harpsichord to highlight the beautiful baroque colours of Purcell’s music, don’t miss it.
proartssociety.ca

Mini Masters

March 5, 2020, 11:00 – 11:45am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required

Mini Masters is a workshop series for children aged three to five to explore themes in our current exhibitions through art making, movement, and play. From yoga to dance, painting to print-making, each month you can discover new mediums and techniques in all art forms.
eventbrite.ca

Lyrics: An Evening of Art and Poetry

March 5, 2020, 4:00 – 8:30pm
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Join local artist Stacey Walyuchow for her third solo show. Walyuchow has created 14 new pieces inspired by lyrics of her favourite songs. Each hand painted collage piece is accompanied by poetry written by Helen Hajnoczky.
eventbrite.ca

Bright Side Art Show

March 5, 2020, 5:00pm
Theatre 1308 (1308 Edmonton Tr. NE)
Free admission

A group exhibition by visual artists that explores the theme of progress, be sure to swing by this opening reception. Curated by Julya Hajnoczky to coincide with the Bright Side Festival, the exhibit includes paintings and photography by a number of talented local artists.
theatre1308.com

Free First Thursday Nights

March 5, 2020, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Glenbow is a place for everyone. Thanks to a partnership with Servus Credit Union, this popular free evening at the museum returns. Committed to expanding the reach and impact of art and culture in our community, be sure to swing by—it’s a great chance to see a bunch of new exhibitions up close and personal!
facebook.com

Bring the Baby Art Tour & Tummy Time

March 6, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration recommended

This program starts with a casual half-hour tour of the Esker Foundation’s current exhibitions, followed by a half-hour of tummy time social fun for both baby and guardian centred around an interactive artwork created especially for babies by artist Yvonne Mullock.
eventbrite.ca

March Literary Happy Hour

March 6, 2020, 5:00 – 7:00pm
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
Free admission

A wee literary refresher between work and your weekend, join Kevin Bailey as he shares his new story I Go Walking In Your Landscape. With a chance to share chapbooks and refreshments, the reading starts at 5:30pm.
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A Separate and Pleasant View Opening Reception

March 6, 2020, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Jarvis Hall Gallery (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free admission

Bill Rodgers’ series of works explore aspects of the looking glass, considering the nature of reflection as image or an aid to image or object. The social history of private reflection, as in aspects of race, class, belief, and gender, is also part of this project. Check it out at this opening reception.
jarvishallgallery.com

Anthology of Mourning Opening Reception

March 6, 2020, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Alberta Printmakers Gallery and Studio (4025 4th St. SE)
Free admission

Anthology of Mourning is a contemporary printmaking exhibition by artist Stephanie de Couto Costa exploring expanded notions of mourning from an ethnological perspective. This installation features printed works and drawings that reflect on how our heritage, belief systems, and genealogy effects or guides our experiences of grief.
albertaprintmakers.com

Every Worm Deserves a Mansion Opening Reception

March 6, 2020, 8:00pm
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free admission

Nicole Brunel’s work relies on the notion that if something is funny, it is worth investigating. Brunel utilizes humour to address the power dynamics that sustain systemic discrimination. Explore it at the opening reception.
thenewgallery.org

What the Hell Happened to Her

March 6 – 8, 2020
Nvrlnd (1048 21st Ave. SE)
Free admission

Heather Buchanan’s latest offering evokes the experience of living with a brain that is eternally incongruous with our culture’s expectations of how a brain ought to behave. This series of imagined portraits show women doing their best to keep their shit together, often even striving to look like they belong in this increasingly inhospitable world.
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Sheep Creek Weavers Interactive Demos

March 7, 2020, 10:00am – 2:00pm
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Learn about traditional techniques of spinning wool and discover the process of hand loom weaving. Join the Sheep Creek Weavers for this fun activity during the Farmers and Makers Market!
facebook.com

Jolie Bird & Alyssa Sikapinakii Duck Chief

March 7, 2020, 2:00 – 4:00pm
Stride Gallery (1006 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free admission

For the past two months, artists Jolie Bird and Alyssa Sikapinakii Duck Chief have been working in their respective installations and you can check them out one last time. Join Stride Gallery for this closing reception.
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Women Exclusive Opening Reception

March 7, 2020, 2:00 – 5:00pm
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free admission

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Wallace Galleries are centering this exhibition on their fabulous roster of women artists, including Nancy Boyd, Isla Burns, Camrose Ducote, Joice Hall, Jennifer Hornyak, and many more.
wallacegalleries.com

XX Opening Reception

March 7, 2020, 2:00 – 5:00pm
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave SW)
Free admission

Herringer Kiss Gallery celebrates International Women’s Day with an all-women’s show of top Canadian artists who through their work, teaching, and mentorship empower and encourage other women.
herringerkissgallery.com

The Word from Girls

March 8, 2020, 12:00 – 2:30pm
Central Library (800 3rd St. SE)
Free admission

Join the Calgary Public Library in celebration of International Women’s Day and the launch of Girls Lead: A Toolkit for Supporting Girls’ Leadership and Activism. Hear stories of allyship, audacity, and ambition from young women.
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Sintonia Soundwalk

March 8, 2020, 5:00pm
Festival Hall (1215 10th Ave. SE)
Free admission, registration required

Join Sintonia for a sonic exploration of the Inglewood neighbourhood, this free soundwalk takes place before New Works Calgary’s Sunday night concert. Participate in a few deep listening exercises followed by a slow and easy exploration and a brief discussion.
eventbrite.ca

The Ballad of Sharkasaurus: The Making of a Monster

March 8, 2020, 6:00pm
Two House Brewing (1516 10th Ave. SW)
Free admission

Two House Brewing is hosting a kickstarter launch party to raise money to build a 14-foot animatronic shark dinosaur costume to be used in the upcoming western short film, The Ballad of Sharkasaurus.
facebook.com

Green Tales of the City

March 10, 2020, 7:00pm
River Park Church (3818 14A St. SW)
Free admission

Part of the justREEL Film Series, this film chronicles how the sustainability movement in several cities in the Netherlands is getting louder, more powerful, and more extensive at a breakneck pace. Green Tales of the City brings a positive light to climate change, showing how people are slowly engaging with sustainable living.
justicefilmfestival.ca