Alberta Craft presents the Portage College Native Arts & Culture Program: Legacy of Graduates symposium and exhibition. This video is a recording of the symposium and its speakers, artists Joseph Sánchez, Ruby Sweetman, and Coral Madge, who spoke about their work as artists and experiences at Portage College. For timeline links to the individual speakers click on the watch on YouTube button (bottom left corner). The Legacy of Graduates exhibition, curated by Coral Madge, is a celebration of the beautiful, sustaining, traditional arts of our region. The artists approach their works from co ..read more

Yesterday, Alberta Craft announced the five recipients of the 2023 Alberta Craft Awards. The recipients of the 2023 Alberta Craft Awards are: Early Achievement Award Winner: Leia Guo In recognition of exceptional achievement as an emerging craftsperson. Fibre Arts Award Winner: Tanis Simpson In celebration of the legacy of the Hand Weavers, Spinners and Dyers of Alberta, and honoring fibre artists sharing skills and creativity with the broader community. Linda Stanier & Family Memorial Award Winner: Lael Chmelyk Celebrating the life of Linda Stanier, this award honors an Alberta cra ..read more

by Shiemara Hogarth Threads twist, imprint, and form palpable presences within the surfaces they create. These presences are interwoven in a manner such that “threads may be transformed into traces, and traces into threads”[1].  Eva Birhanu and Simone Elizabeth Saunders, while exploring personal stories in their works, communicate the traces of common threads that underpin an understanding of Black female Canadian identity.  Threading Black invites observation of these c ..read more

On April 14, 2021, the Alberta Craft Council, a non-profit charitable Provincial Arts Service Organization, reported a theft in its downtown Edmonton Gallery to the Edmonton Police Service. The break-in occurred approximately at 3:10 am. Eleven artworks were stolen, including nine belonging to artists based in the Northwest Territories who participated in the Crafted NWT exhibition, organized in collaboration with the NWT Craft Council and NWT Arts. In addition, the damage was done to the infrastructure of the building, and equipment was taken. The Executive Director of the Alberta Craft Coun ..read more

Crafting During Difficult Times: Coping with Creative Challenges During a Pandemic By: Allison Tunis, B.F.A., D.V.A.T.I. Craft can be a way for many people to relax, unwind, create, and imagine. However, what happens when the world around us becomes so stressful that it interferes with our creative process? The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on our daily lives and sense of safety, making it difficult to manage stress and maintain positive mental health. This, in turn, can impact our abilities to engage, manage, access, and connect with art. This article will explore some of ..read more

ONLINE SHOP UPDATE! Due to a very high volume of orders, our Online Shop will close on December 22 at Midnight (MST).  No new online orders will be processed after this time until the shop reopens in January.  Orders placed between Saturday, December 19 to Tuesday, December 22 will be shipped, delivered, or ready for pick up on Wednesday, December 23. If you are picking up an order, make sure you visit our shop by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, December 23. Our shops are closed from December 24 until reopening in January.    FAQ ONLINE SHOP My item is a gift, can I have it wrapped ..read more

  We’ve been busy and would love to share with you what we have been doing to support the viability of the Alberta craft sector in recent months: In the last year, We have expanded our advocacy for the viability of a vibrant Alberta craft community both provincially and federally in response to Covid-19. We launched an Online Shop, which has exponentially broadened the audience for our members’ handcrafted products. We expanded the hours dedicated to Member services to increase support for our craft community, continuing to be an important resource for our artist members with targ ..read more

We caught up with Paul van den Bijgaart, co-owner and artist at Bubble Baker, a designer-maker team creating innovative and finctional glassware. His new work, Ink Series, is on at the Alberta Craft Gallery - Calgary Spotlight until August 22, 2020. Shop in-store and a selection online Paul, what inspires you to make? My inspiration for this body of work comes from my experiences of traveling throughout China. I've always been drawn to making functional work and the range of work for this exhibition comes from learning a new language and the idioms associated 一鼓作气 yi gu zuo qi was the in ..read more

April 22 is Earth Day, a celebration of our planet and a reminder of the care it deserves. As we look at craft as a means for more sustainable living, we share ways in which artists are achieving and exploring sustainability in holistic and thoughtful ways. Sublime Waste, Eveline Kolijn We are all in this together The actions we take as makers and consumers have a major impact on future generations. The most effective and enduring forms of sustainability incorporate environmental, social and economic measures. Re:consider contemplates ways we can craft a sustainable future. Many artists are a ..read more

National Volunteer Week is here, and it’s a coast-to-coast-to-coast celebration of the commitment, dedication, generosity and selflessness of Canada’s almost 13 million volunteers. Today we share an interview wil Lynda Snider, lifelong volunteer and self-described art-a-holic.   "Lynda Snider is a gem", writes Jill Nuckles, Volunteer Coordinator, Alberta Craft Gallery. "Volunteering for the Alberta Craft Gallery - Calgary every Saturday for nearly 3 years she has engaged thousands of people with her knowledge, wit and experience in the art world.  She not only actively ..read more