• Location Various Venues 
• Price Prices Vary

While autumn is in full swing, the month of October always brings a plethora of visual arts programming to Calgary’s arts community. From new shows and workshops to a ton of socially distanced show and sales, there’s so much to see and do!

The People’s Poetry Festival Art Show

October 1 – 15, 2021
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
$5

Loft 112 and The People’s Poetry Festival invite you to take in some buy now artworks at this online auction and in-person show. The money from this sale is split between the artist, poet, and The People’s Poetry Festival. Be sure to check it out and continue supporting local arts!
loft112.org

Bring the Baby Art Tour & Tummy Time

October 1, 15 & 29, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to participate, registration required

Parents, caregivers, and their babies are invited to join the Esker for a gentle baby-led conversational tour exploring some of the themes in their current exhibitions. Babies have a chance to enjoy some tummy time on Yvonne Mullock’s extraordinary interactive sensory blanket.
eskerfoundation.com

Open House & Silent Auction

October 2 & 3, 2021
Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Centre (404 Meredith Rd. NE)
Free to explore

Join St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church as it hosts a silent auction featuring the artwork of Zinnie Eberhardt, whose numerous paintings, drawings, and sculptures will be on display both online and in-person during the open houses.
stvlads.com

Riverview Artists Show & Sale

October 4 – 8, 2021, 9:00am – 4:00pm
Atco Park (5302 Forand St. SW)
Free to explore

The artists of the Riverview Artists Group invite you to view their latest exhibit of original paintings. Finding inspiration in a wide range of subjects, they express their ideas in a variety of styles and techniques. An artist will be in attendance each day, so be sure not to miss it!
riverview-artists.com

Occupying Chinatown

October 7, 2021, 6:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

The New Gallery is thrilled to host an online artist talk with Paul Wong on the occasion of the publication of his newest book, Occupying Chinatown, and its new main space exhibition, Pulling Back the Paper, an archival exhibition and research lab that gathers and shares the intersecting histories that has shaped the gallery.
eventbrite.ca

New Relationalities

October 7, 2021, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Join Marigold Santos for an artist talk about her creative practice, and her work featured in RELATIONS: Diaspora and Painting, followed by a conversation with Marissa Largo. The Esker presents this discussion around sensorial memories, mothering, and creative work. Be sure to tune in!
eventbrite.ca

Christina Battle

October 8, 2021, 11:00am
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Disaster, plants, and the internet, this artist talk from the University of Calgary considers artistic practice as a part of response. Christina Battle is an artist, curator, and educator whose work focuses on thinking deeply about the concept of disaster and the ways in which it might be utilized as a framework for social change.
facebook.com

We Were Once People

October 8, 2021, 7:00 – 8:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Join d.talks and Esker Foundation writer-in-residence Sue-Shane Tsomondo for a conversation about displacement and belonging as part of Tsomondo’s response to the exhibition RELATIONS. Tsomondo has invited fellow African artists JustMoe and Mpoe Mogale to discuss the loss of language and voice.
eskerfoundation.com

Anti Social AF

October 8 & 9, 2021
The Dark Arts (608 1st St. SW)
Free to explore

Hannah Elizabeth Roberge and H.E.R. Art present new works in Anti Social AF. Roberge stands in the crossroads of creativity, talent, freedom, and struggles. Her work is a mixture strength with a touch of vulnerability, be sure to check it out at The Dark Arts!
instagram.com

RELATIONS Tour with Elizabeth Diggon

October 14, 2021, 6:00 – 7:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to participate, registration required

Join Assistant Curator Elizabeth Diggon for a tour of Esker Foundation’s current exhibition. This group exhibition explores the multiple and complex meanings of the idea of the diaspora, its condition, and its experiences as expressed in painting.
eventbrite.ca

Art as Resistance and Revelation in Academia

October 15, 2021, 7:00 – 800pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

How might art uplift the voices of communities with whom student researchers work? Join Esker writer-in-residence Suzanne Chew and Romani Makkik in a conversation on how they have used art as a means to tell new stories, rooted in strength and self-determination.
eskerfoundation.com

Palette Fine Art Show & Sale

October 15 & 16, 2021
Triwood Community Hall (2244 Chicoutimi Dr. NW)
Free to explore

Calgary Community Painters Society presents paintings by many independent artists in a variety of mediums including acrylic, oil, watercolour, pastel and mixed media. Palette is an excellent place to buy your first piece of original art so be sure to swing by and check it out.
calgarycommunitypainters.com

Fall Art Show & Sale

October 16 & 17, 2021, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave. NE)
Free to explore

Join Beacon Original Art for its annual show and sale, featuring over 25 different artists and showcasing works in painting, jewelry, glass, photography, ceramics, sculpture, and textiles. Artists have the opportunity to share their inspirations and techniques.
beaconoriginalart.com

Roots and Rhymes

October 16 & 23, 2021, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to participate, registration required

Every child has a unique experience of the world and a story to tell. Esker invites children aged eight to 12 to explore their stories, creativity, and identity with local artists Sydonne Warren and Nastassia Aikman in a two-part writing, art-making, and performance workshop.
eventbrite.ca

Unmasking Your Roots

October 16 & 23, 2021, 3:00 – 4:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to participate, registration required

What makes you authentically you? How do you stay connected to that authenticity? Esker presents youth aged 16 to 25 with the opportunity to explore these questions with local artists Sydonne Warren and Nastassia Aikman in a two-part poetry and performance workshop.
eventbrite.ca

In Between

October 17 – 28, 2021
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
$5

Experience this beautiful shared exhibit by local artists Lancette Burton and Stacey Walyuchow. It’s an exhibit of work representing those moments in life where we find ourselves situated somewhere between two extremes or the feeling of being on the brink of something new.
loft112.org

Legends of the Trans

October 18, 2021 – February 22, 2022
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore

This photographic work continues Vivek Shraya’s queering of performance, photography, and storytelling to reflect an open-ended and ever-evolving notion of herself and the immense value of non-conforming role models. For Shraya, making is a way to disrupt these hierarchies and break the rules.
eskerfoundation.com

Mini Makers

October 21, 2021, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to participate, registration required

Mini Makers is a hands-on program for children aged three to five exploring creativity through process-based art making, movement and play. Each workshop introduces new mediums and inspirations in all art forms. A parent or guardian is required to stay for the duration of the program and all materials are provided.
eventbrite.ca

The Fibre Shindig

October 23, 2021, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association (1320 5th Ave. NW)
$5

With hand-dyed yarn, spinning fibre, fibre tools and accessories, felting, weaving, beads, buttons, pottery, hand-sewn project bags, jewellery and more, head down and discover the work of these talented Alberta fibre artists and artisans. It’s a great chance to get a jump on your holiday shopping.
eventbrite.ca

Day of the Dead Celebration

October 23, 2021. 4:30pm
Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre & Sculpture Park (244034 Horizon View Rd. SW)
$60

Botanical Artist Rocio Graham invites KOAC members to participate in My Garden’s Funeral—a performance and celebration infused with Graham’s experiences growing up in Mexico. This celebration will be introspective, personal, celebratory, and of course, full of Mexican cuisine flavours!
koartscentre.org

The Art of Mindfulness

October 24 – November 5, 2021
Little Gallery, Art Building, University of Calgary (6th Floor, 2975 University Way NW)
Free to explore

STEM Art Hub presents an exhibition and fundraiser for mental health research and awareness, featuring pieces made by a team of University of Calgary artists on the theme of mental health, mindfulness, and mental health research. An opening reception takes place online on October 28 from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Register to take part.
stemarthub.wixsite.com

Vivek Shraya & Naomi Potter In Conversation

October 27, 2021, 7:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to watch, respiration required

Esker Foundation invites you to join artist, author, and musician Vivek Shraya and director/curator Naomi Potter in a conversation about photography, music, storytelling, hair, devotion, queering both Brad Pitt and Tristan Ludlow, rule breaking, and being loved.
eventbrite.ca

Tourbe Chunky

October 29 – December 11, 2021
TRUCK Contemporary Art (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

In the form of assemblages, the recent works of Guillaume Adjutor Provost are reunited at TRUCK Gallery in the exhibition Tourbe Chunky, examining the proximity between the occidental history of economics and its multiple references to the human body. Be sure not to miss the opening reception from 7:00 to 10:00pm on October 29.
truck.ca

Family Halloween in the Foothills

October 30, 2021, 4:00 – 8:00pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
$10

Calling all monsters, witches, and ghouls! Have some Halloween fun, creating, and exploring outdoors at Leighton Art Centre on a fun-filled evening exploring the trails, with unexpected surprises along the way. Be sure to wear your best costume and bring your trick-or-treat bag along!
leightoncentre.org

Ongoing Exhibitions

Handknotted Rug Event

Until October 3, 2021
Villages Calgary (220 Crowchild Tr. NW)
Free to explore

Come and see over 200 handknotted rugs from Pakistan! Each rug is beautifully made by fairly paid adults in over 100 villages throughout the country. Bunyaad, a fair-trade rug making organization, has been able to build a foundation of work and community amongst 850 families in Pakistan.
villagescalgary.ca

Undergrowth

Until October 9, 2021
Norberg Hall (333B 36th Ave. SE)
Free to explore

Patrick Dunford considers a number of societal issues including resource extraction, climate change, and the de-industrialization, a new aspect of the artist’s practice born through the ritual of walking and visiting natural and man-made landscapes with his young son.
norberghall.com

Down in the Weeds

Until October 10, 2021
VIVIANEART (1018 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore

Winnie Truong’s newest series of works continues her exploration of the female form within natural yet often surreal and imagined worlds. Truong uses intricate pencil crayon drawings to create cut paper collages, resulting in intense and beautiful created environments.
vivianeart.com

With One Hand Tied Behind My Back

Until October 10, 2021
Project Space, Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore

A 30-foot tapestry, cherry red and bubble-gum pink, Molly JF Caldwell’s site-specific installation is a love letter to Penelope from Homer’s Odyssey who repeatedly wove, unraveled, and rewove a tapestry to avoid suitors while awaiting her husband’s return.
eskerfoundation.com

Everywhere We Are

Until October 10, 2021
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission

An ambitious exhibition and public program series addressing challenges, merits, impacts, and advantages associated with art collecting, it is intended to express that boundaries are often mutable, flexible and even artificial, and that art is owned by the person who sees it.
contemporarycalgary.com

Notes for Tomorrow

Until October 10, 2021
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
With admission

This exhibition features artworks selected by curators from around the world to reflect on a new global reality ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic, with artworks addressing spirituality as a grounding mechanism, sharing ways to make sense of the world when so much is in doubt.
contemporarycalgary.com

Shaping Calgary

Until October 16, 2021
Herringer Kiss Gallery (101, 1615 10th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

Herringer Kiss Gallery presents an exhibition of the leading and most influential sculptors in Calgary, curated by Kevin Kanashiro and Deborah Herringer Kiss. This show features artists Walter May, Katie Ohe, Gord Ferguson, Rita McKeough, Alexander Caldwell, Ron Kanashiro, Laura Vickerson, and Blake Senini.
herringerkissgallery.com

Refugium

Until October 16, 2021
Christine Klassen Gallery (321 50th Ave. SE)
Free to explore

Composed of new photo-based work from various road trips and artist residencies during the pandemic, CKG presents a solo exhibition of new photography by Calgary-based Julya Hajnoczky. Hajnoczky’s explorations of the natural world transcend their true scale as large format prints.
christineklassengallery.com

Stories from Early Chinatown

Until October 17, 2021
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
With admission

The Chinese community has been in Calgary since the early days of settlement. By 1885, the year after Calgary became incorporated as a town, the first Chinese residents were settled in the town centre. Despite racism and discriminatory government policies, the community slowly grew. This exhibit explores the stories of these early Calgarians through creative writing, illustrations, audio, and historical photographs.
lougheedhouse.com

Beyond the Edge

Until October 17, 2021
Lougheed House (707 13th Ave. SW)
With admission

Beyond the Edge is a traveling exhibit by artist Kay Burns that looks at the Flat Earth Society of Canada and its later iterations, along with curious details about two of its enigmatic members. The exhibit embodies how inquiry plays an important role in critical thinking and knowledge acquisition.
lougheedhouse.com

Lochhead & Bloore

Until October 20, 2021
Wallace Galleries (500 5th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

​Lochhead and Bloore were both professors at the University of Regina in the 1950s and 60s and were instrumental in the action expression art movement of the 1960s. This exhibition highlights the diversity, intellect, and devotion both Lochhead and Bloore shared.
wallacegalleries.com

In the Open Air

Until October 24, 2021
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
By donation

In the Open Air honours the practice of creating art outdoors, in the moment. Painting from direct observation continues to be popular, including here in Alberta. This exhibition showcases the work of a number of accomplished Alberta artists so be sure to check it out.
facebook.com

Sculpture Park Tours

Saturdays until October 30, 2021
Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre & Sculpture Park (244034 Horizon View Rd. SW)
$15

Join the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre as they enrich the educational experience and make contemporary visual culture accessible through Saturday guided tours of the large-scale sculptures and smaller-scale pieces situated around the property. Check it out before the snow flies.
koartscentre.org

A.C.E. Alberta Craft Excellence

Until November 6, 2021
Alberta Craft Gallery, cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

Featuring a diverse selection of exceptional artists, this exhibition was created to celebrate excellence in contemporary and traditional Alberta fine craft for the 40th anniversary of the Alberta Craft Council.
albertacraft.ab.ca

RELATIONS: Diaspora and Painting

Until November 27, 2021
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to explore

This group exhibition explores the multiple and complex meanings of the idea of the diaspora, its condition, and its experiences as expressed in painting, offering a selection of works by artists who address the question from various points of view. Be sure to make it a priority to visit.
eskerfoundation.com

Beyond Van Gogh: An Immersive Experience

Until November 28, 2021
BMO Centre, Stampede Park (20 Roundup Way SE)
Prices vary

In an imaginative and immersive presentation crafted for our unique times by world renowned audiovisual designers, Beyond Van Gogh uses cutting-edge projection technology to create an engaging journey into the world of Van Gogh. This show has proven so popular that it has been extended for a second time.
calgaryvangogh.com

Braids in the Front, Braids in the Back

Until November 30, 2021
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free to explore

Braids in the front, braids in the back was once used between the Chinese and Indigenous communities in their respective languages to refer to each other. This work by Annie Wong recalls an obscured history of mutual aid and kinship between the two.
thenewgallery.org

The Boxed Stories Gallery

Until December 12, 2021
Loft 112 (112, 535 8th Ave. SE)
$5

This is a truly unique experience for artists and viewers alike! Housed within a vintage card catalogue, the library’s one time answer to organizing a collection of books for readers to locate on a shelf, visitors will be encouraged to discover varied artworks as they open each drawer.
loft112.org

Reflections: 10 Years Capturing Calgary’s Alt Music Scene

Until September 11, 2022
Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (850 4th St. SE)
With admission

Music photographer Zoltan Varadi was inspired by the nice surprises he discovered as he began cleaning and scanning his old negatives during a year of pandemic lockdowns. Though some of his images were published on the pages of CJSW’s Vox Magazine, or FFWD Weekly, many have remained unseen, even by Varadi himself. This exhibit serves as an extension of the Community Storytellers exhibition.
studiobell.ca

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