• Location Various Venues 
• Price Free

May is here and seemingly so is spring — fingers crossed — which means it’s the perfect time to get out and explore the city. This week enjoy a selection of free events from Contemporary Calgary, browse spring art markets, join your choice of Jane’s Walk, and more!

Catherine Lippitt & Brad Mahon

May 4, 2022, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free to attend

ProArts@Noon Concert Series presents soprano Catherine Lippitt with guitarist Brad Mahon. Lippitt started out in Calgary singing in choirs and has sung with groups worldwide and Mahon, when not in committee meetings at Mount Royal University, regularly sneaks off to moonlight as a guitarist.
proartssociety.ca

Artists’ Roundtable

May 4, 2022, 5:00 – 6:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Join Rhonda Weppler & Trevor Mahovsky in discussion with artists Anna Binta Diallo, Atanas Bozdarov, Barbara Hobot, Adriana Kuiper & Ryan Suter, Brendan L.S. Tang, and Couzyn van Heuvelen. This roundtable explores various thematic threads that connect and resist within the exhibition The Further Apart Things Seem.
contemporarycalgary.com

Calgary on Purpose

May 4, 2022, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to attend

Calgary on Purpose and Contemporary Calgary invite you to an evening of conversation and connection. Sable Sweetgrass, Adora Nwofor, and Dave Kelly reflect on the land, the people who live here, and their personal journeys as neighbours in this place, followed by a discussion about what the city is and might become.
contemporarycalgary.com

First Thursday

May 5, 2022, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to attend, RSVP required

Join Contemporary Calgary’s inaugural First Thursday for a free late-night gallery experience. Explore the galleries with hourly guided tours, get down with Hot Sauce Boogie and enjoy thoughtfully crafted drinks by Sugar Water Bar.
contemporarycalgary.com

I Am Not Lost

May 5, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Residence Inn by Marriott Calgary (610 10th Ave. SW)
Free to attend, registration required

Tara Vahab’s upcoming event exhibits her most recent artworks, including the sculpture Inside the Heart and the mixed-medium painting series Unknown Places and a talk on art and wellness. The exhibition is the result of an artist residency at Marriott Calgary Downtown.
eventbrite.ca

Danyel Smith

May 5, 2022, 7:00 – 8:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Imagine On Air’s Big Generous Brain series presents groundbreaking magazine editor and journalist Danyel Smith and her new book, Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. This special one-hour conversation is hosted by Wordfest’s Shelley Youngblut.
beta.wordfest.com

Birds of a Feather Artist Opening

May 6, 2022, 6:00 – 8:30pm
Framed on Fifth (1207 5th Ave. NW)
Free to attend

The exhibition Birds of a Feather is chock full of whimsy and vibrancy with paintings by Pam Weber and Angie Rees. This imaginative duo creates wonderfully angst-free worlds, playful, colourful, and no, not only birds.
framedonfifth.com

Mother’s Day Market

May 6 & 7, 2022, 10:00am – 8:00pm
Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Rd. SE)
Free to explore

Visit Southcentre Mall for a special shop local Mother’s Day Market presented in partnership with Collab YYC. Find the perfect local and hand-crafted gift for the mom, grandma, mom-in-law, mom-to-be, or mother figure in your life from one of the 19 unique local vendors.
southcentremall.com

Spring Art Show and Sale

May 6 & 7, 2022
Uplands Recreation Centre (20 Hawkside Rd. NW)
Free to explore

Alberta Escape Artists invite you to their Spring Sale and Show to browse and buy art from local artists Janet Armstrong, Martin Cochrane, Linda Fundytus, and many more. All the while, enjoy live music and win fabulous door prizes.
facebook.com

Jane’s Walk

May 6 – 8, 2022
Various locations
Free to attend, registration required

Jane’s Walk encourages Calgarians of all ages to go and explore their city. Whether it’s taking in the unique labour history of the downtown core, drumming at the top of Nose Hill, or walking the music mile. There’s something for everyone to discover!
janeswalk.calgaryfoundation.org

See me. Hear me.

Opens May 7, 2022
Sparrow Artspace (36 4th St. NE)
Free to attend, registration recommended

Sparrow Artspace May residency, See me. Hear me., is a creative collaboration of artists sharing work relating to the theme of empathy. Through the gallery, workshops, and events, local artists and facilitators have the opportunity to show their work while bringing awareness to the healing power of the arts.
randwstudios.com

Stonehouse Publishing Quartet

May 10, 2022, 7:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Shelf Life Books brings together Stonehouse Publishing’s 2022 authors: Anthony Bidulka, S. Portico Bowman, Joanne Jackson, and Kelly Kaur. They invite you to enjoy tales of personal awakening, mystery, coming of age, and determination in a conversation hosted by Lisa Murphy-Lamb, director of Loft 112.
facebook.com

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