Month of the Artist
Province celebrates the valuable contributions artists make during Alberta Culture Days
The first province in Canada to dedicate a month to artists, the Government of Alberta recognizes and supports local artists this September, many of whom have lost audiences and income because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coinciding with Alberta Culture Days, the month aims to raise awareness about Alberta’s artists, celebrate their accomplishments and contributions to the province, and say thank you for making Alberta a better place to live.
“Artists’ work enriches our lives, promotes creativity and innovation, and contributes to a more diversified economy. When the arts thrive, Albertans thrive. Businesses, investments, and livelihoods all benefit from a stronger arts and culture sector,” says Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Leela Sharon Aheer, in a statement.
“To all artists in Alberta, thank you for your dedication to your craft, your passion to create and enriching the lives of others. I ask all Albertans to join me in recognizing and supporting local artists during Month of the Artist!”
Calgary Arts Development is pleased to share profiles of a handful of artists who live and work in every corner of our city. These artists are amongst thousands of Calgary creatives who work in a variety of art forms to enrich our lives.
Check back throughout September for more profiles.
Artist Q&As
Esteban Herrera
Esteban Herrera is a pianist, composer, jazz player, arranger, and music producer.
He has released seven albums as a leader and around 30 as a sideman. Read More
Laura Anzola
Laura Anzola has always been fascinated with images: how they work, how they are captured and composed, and how people react to them.
Anzola is an artist based in Calgary working with animation, new media arts, and design. Read More
Melanee Murray-Hunt
Melanee Murray-Hunt is an actor, writer, filmmaker, and producer. Onscreen credits include appearances on the APTN show Tribal, and the feature film Jasmine Road.
She directed and wrote the show for UNGANISHA at the Grand Theatre as well as the Our Canada, Our Story play along with youth creators. Read More
Sasha Ivanochko
Sasha Ivanochko is a choreographer, pedagogue, and artistic director of Ivanochko in company, an ad hoc company she founded in 2005.
Since 2018, she’s been at the helm of Dancers’ Studio West, a support service organization dedicated to the evolution of contemporary dance in Alberta. Read More
Dj Stagez
Dj Stagez began his eclectic artist career combining spoken word, dancing, and drumming.
He works to showcase the remarkable legacy of Black people throughout history. Read More
Kara Bullock
Kara Bullock is a movement-based artist of Filipina and German heritage.
She is developing a solo work about boy bands while in residence at the DJD Dance Centre this fall. Read More
Emmanuel Ho
Emmanuel Ho is an animator and experimental filmmaker based out of Calgary.
His current research interests are in the relationship between motion perception and cognition, and in developing a visual language of narrative in virtual reality. Read More
Ebony R. Gooden
Ebony R. Gooden is the only Black Deaf artist living in Calgary, Canada. She is an emerging artist, filmmaker, and activist.
Her unique voice has intersectionality layers, where it is incredibly essential for her to show hearing people what it is like to be Deaf and Black. Read More
Rami Abdulnour
From an early age, Rami Abdulnour has been fascinated by art and the creativity that stems from it.
Fortunate enough to get a start in photography because of his dad who owned a little photo studio in Damascus, Syria, he began working with embossing and etching cooper after running his own jewelry shop. Read More
Bianca Miranda
Born and raised in the Philippines, Bianca Miranda (she/her) is a Filipino-Canadian performer, theatre-maker, and arts administrator based in Mohkinstsis.
She is the Artistic Associate at Handsome Alice Theatre, a performance hive dedicated to unleashing women’s voices. Read More
About Alberta’s Month of the Artist
September is the Month of the Artist in Alberta, an annual celebration of artists and the value they bring to the province, both socially and economically.
Dedicated by the Government of Alberta, the Month of the Artist is a way to say thank you for making the province a better place to live.
Calgary Arts Development is pleased to share the stories of artists who choose to live and work in Calgary.
Have a story to share? Email us at submissions@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
