• Location Various Venues 
• Price Free

Open up your October with artistic flair by attending a free event from this week’s roundup! From visual art to live music to film, the choice is all yours, so get on out there!

From Exclusion to Inclusion

Until October 8, 2023
Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre (197 1st St. SW)
Free to explore/attend, registration required for seminars and workshops

Learn more about the history of Chinese in Canada in this special photo exhibit showcasing the impact that the Chinese early settlers. In addition to the photo exhibit special workshops, seminars and lunch time films will provide additional insight.
calgarychinatown.com

Textile Vault Tour

October 4, 2023, 12 – 1pm
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (435 Campus Lane NW)
Free to attend

Join curator Michele Hardy for a behind-the-scenes look at the Nickle Galleries’ collection of Asian embroideries. Highlights include Lakai and Kungrat embroideries from Central Asia, a 19th century kaitag from Dagestan, a Krygyz tent band, three Turkmen chapan, and mirrored embroideries from western India.
nickle.ucalgary.ca

Natalie Inga with Mark DeJong

October 4, 2023, 12:10pm – 1pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free to attend

Joined by instrumentalist Mark DeJong, singer-songwriter Natalie Inga draws you in with her sweet voice, rich guitar parts and bold messages, accentuated by the cajoling accompaniment of saxophone and clarinet.
proartssociety.ca

Farmers & Makers Markets: Beltline & Sunalta

October 4 & 7, 2023
Central Memorial Park & Sunalta Community Association
Free to explore

This is the last week for the Farmers & Makers Market on Wednesday at Central Memorial Park and Saturday in the Sunalta neighbourhood. You’ll find local farmers and producers, ready-to-eat food, live music and their free, drop-in kids arts & culture program.
farmersmakersmarket.ca

Bridgeland-Riverside Farmers Market

October 5, 2023, 3:30 – 7:30pm
Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave. NE)
Free to attend

Don’t miss the final outdoor farmers’ market of the season featuring over 30 vendors, food trucks, live music and kids activities, along with the Locally Grown Concert Series featuring awesome local bands.
brcacalgary.org

Natural Beauty of Alberta — Exhibition Opening

October 5, 2023, 6:30 – 8pm
Calgary Central Library (4th floor, 800 3rd St. SE)
Free to explore

Zahra Entezari is a painter, photographer and art instructor based in Calgary, originally from Shiraz, Iran. She has worked with various mediums, and oil and pastel are her favourites. Check out the opening of her newest exhibition!
eventbrite.ca

WGA Fall Kickoff

October 5, 2023, 7pm
Joyce on 4th (506 24th Avenue SW.)
Free to attend

Join the Writers Guild of Alberta and a slate of speakers from the Calgary literary community as they share what they have planned for the 2023/2024 season. Speakers are confirmed from a number of literary organizations around Calgary.
writersguild.ca

Fall Show and Sale

October 7, 2023
St. Peter’s Anglican Church (903 75th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

The Group Art Society of Calgary presents its Fall Show and Sale. Come out for a day of art and meet the artists. They’ll have original paintings in a variety of styles, mediums, sizes and prices. Enter to win an original oil painting by Rosemary Bennett.
facebook.com

Free Art Supply Event

October 7, 2023
CommunityWise Resource Centre (223 12th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

Get ready for Art + Craft Supply’s second free art and craft supply event! They’ll have tables of supplies that you can take home for personal projects or gifts as well as a social space where creatives can meet each other.
instagram.com

Anthotype Workshop

October 7, 2023
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. S)
Free to participate, registration required

Anahita Norouzi will guide a workshop on how to create beautiful anthotypes with plants and other natural materials! This workshop in The New Gallery’s Resource Centre coincides with Norouzi’s mainspace exhibition Planting Displacement.
thenewgallery.org

Connecting Threads

October 7 & 14, 2023
Esker Foundation (4th floor, 1011 9th Ave SE)
Free to participate, registration required

Join artists asmaa al-issa, Stephanie Banszky and Sarah Russell for a two-part workshop series where they have food, conversations, explore fibre arts such as screen printing and block printing, engage with natural materials, and create a collaborative printed tapestry.
eskerfoundation.com

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

October 8, 2023, 1:30 – 5pm
Globe Cinema (617 8th Ave. SW)
Free to attend, donations appreciated

The Creative Aging Calgary Society is hosting its first film screening with the documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed about contemporary artist and activist Nan Golden. The film is followed by a short panel discussion.
eventbrite.ca

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