EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

Contemporary Calgary offers a range of educational programs for children and youth. Join us for a weekend afternoon of family fun or visit us on a field trip with your school. Our exhibitions change frequently, so there’s always something new to see or do.

Children of all ages are welcome, although most of our programs are designed for people aged 5 years and older.

To learn more, scroll down or click one of the topics below to jump to the section that interests you most.

Upcoming Programs

Program Archive

Volunteers

We are grateful for the efforts of our dedicated educational volunteers! All volunteer positions are currently full. Please check our Opportunities Page for other options.

About our Facilitators

Riddhi Patel
(she/her)

TD Education Facilitator

Riddhi Patel has training in both visual and performing arts, holding a Master of Fine Arts (Painting) from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, and a diploma in Kathak Dance. She also works with the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women, where she manages creative projects, and has taught undergraduate drawing at the University of Alberta. Her artistic research explores movement through drawing and investigates ways to bring together her dance and drawing practices. Currently, she is committed to promoting art-making in community settings with people of all ages. In her leisure time, Riddhi enjoys baking pies and capturing fleeting moments around the city.

Vicky Xingyu Gu
(she/her)

TD Education Facilitator

Vicky Xingyu Gu is a Chinese animator who holds a BFA in Animation from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and an MFA in Digital Arts & Animation from the University of Southern California. During her studies, she explored narrative, documentary, and experimental forms of animation. Her works draw inspiration from cultural conflicts, emotional struggles, and societal issues, while experimenting with both digital and traditional media to create layered, hybrid, and provocative forms of storytelling. Since relocating to Calgary, she has become an active participant in the local arts community. She has been teaching various forms of animation with Quickdraw Animation Society and enjoys guiding participants of all ages through creative practices such as drawing, collage, mixed media, and visual storytelling. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, watching animated movies, and playing horror games.

Shaghayegh (Poppy) Ghasemi
(she/her)

Education Facilitator

Shaghayegh (Poppy) Ghasemi is a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary, with research focusing on children. She holds a bachelor's degree in Museum Studies and a master's in Anthropology. Awards from both the University of Manitoba and the University of Calgary have supported her research on child neglect. Poppy has over six years of hands-on experience working with children and youth in museums and schools across Iran, Turkey, and Canada. Before joining Contemporary Calgary, she was a program educator at the Manitoba Children's Museum. She is passionate about activating children's critical and creative thinking through programs delivered in English, French, Farsi, and Turkish. In her leisure time, she enjoys cooking and playing chess.

Dandan Gu
(she/her)

Education Facilitator

Dandan Gu graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a Bachelor's degree in Visual Communication Design. Prior to that, she obtained her first bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, China. Dandan has worked as a graphic designer for various companies and creative projects. Currently, she passionately serves as an educational assistant for art-making programs within the community, sharing her creative expertise with young learners. In her free time, Dandan enjoys practicing ink art, Chinese calligraphy, and illustrating cats and people around her.

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