About Artcity
Artcity Festival is Calgary's annual celebration of visual art, architecture, and design. For 10 days each year, new artworks, installations, and projects are temporarily inserted into the urban landscape for discovery and engagement by ordinary citizens and interested parties.
Artcity produces an extensive amount of interpretive content as well, with lectures, podcasts, and educational tours dispersed throughout the exhibition schedule.
All Artcity events are open to the public with free admission.
The 20th annual Artcity Festival will take place September 9th to the 17th of 2011, under the thematic banner of "Rebirth".
Mandate
Artcity is produced by the Visual Arts Week Society (VAWS), a non-profit, volunteer-run society dedicated to enhancing the public's experience and enjoyment of contemporary visual arts, architecture and design.
Artcity brings art and architecture into the spaces where the public lives and works. The organization recognizes the continually changing needs of artists and the nature of artistic presentation, and as such, provides flexible exhibition opportunities to individuals and groups working in all (inter-) disciplines. The Festival opens possibilities in Calgary for conversations, debates and realizations about how and what artists, architects and designers do and how they see and shape the world around us. Artcity programs new, critically engaged work by professional artists in dynamic settings, and supports activities of a similar nature in the broader Calgary community through partnerships and joint programming ventures with arts organiztions and educational institutions. The society provides a high-profile infrastructure to independent practices that move existing genres and ideas forward.
Our History
Founded in 1991, ARTCITY Festival was once known as Artweek. Formed to facilitate two major art projects in Calgary, at a time when the city lacked a civic art-focused cultural program, Artweek's first exhibitions were large shows held in office towers downtown. The early shows were comprised primarily of painting and sculpture from the University of Lethbridge collection, and later curated exhibitions were developed to relect current and emerging art practice in Alberta and beyond. At the turn of the millenium, the festival focused strongly on regionalism and was a key supporter of the 2000 Alberta Biennial. In 2001, Artweek merged with Artwalk and renamed ARTCITY Festival.
For the past 10 years, ARTCITY Festival has had no major connection to either Artweek or Artwalk, and has become its own independant celebration of the arts.
Artcity Festival is known for its high profile roster of national and international art and architecture professionals and for it's contribution to Calgary's burgeoning visual culture through collaborative programming support and shared promotion with like minded organizations.
Artcity 2011 Volunteer Board Members and Employees
Meredith Angus - Administrative Director
Lindsay Brandon - Visual Arts Chair
John Frosst - Creative Director
Brianne Hamilton - Design Chair
Jonathan Karpetz - Secretary
Andrew Mackie - President/Architecture Chair
Katrina Olson - Marketing
Jaimie Driedger - Volunteer Chair
Brennan Tilley - Treasurer
Joel Tobman - Design/Marketing
Wilson Wong - Design Chair
Artcity 2010 Volunteer Board Members and Employees
Meredith Angus - Assistant Director
Lindsay Brandon - Visual Arts Chair
John Frosst - Executive Director
Bradley Harms - Vice President
Jonathan Karpetz - Secretary
Andrew Mackie - President/Architecture Chair
Katrina Olson - Marketing
Dena Seiferling - Design Chair
Artcity 2009 Volunteer Board Members and Employees
Meredith Angus - Assistant Director
Lindsay Brandon - Visual Arts Chair
Thea Campbell - Architecture Chair
John Frosst - Assistant Director/Installation
Bradley Harms - Vice President
Jonathan Karpetz - Secretary
Wednesday Lupypciw - Assistant Director
Andrew Mackie - President
Katrina Olson - Marketing
Gail Scheuring - Treasurer