Contemporary Calgary Receives $240,000 Grant from TD to Expand TD Contemporary Kids and Community Program
Photo by: Ella Michel
Contemporary Calgary Receives $240,000 Grant from TD to Expand TD Contemporary Kids and Community Program
CALGARY, AB (November 5, 2025) – Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St SW) is proud to announce a $240,000 grant from TD Bank Group in support of its educational initiative, TD Contemporary Kids and Community. Building on past support from TD, this transformative investment will expand the gallery’s programming for both its youngest visitors and older adult audiences, while advancing diversity, inclusion and accessibility within the arts sector. Press are invited to join us on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Contemporary Calgary’s Atrium (701 11 St SW) for the presentation of the cheque by TD. The spokespersons for this story are David Leinster, CEO of Contemporary Calgary, Mona Filip, Chief Curator of Contemporary Calgary, or Yilu Xing, TD Educational Coordinator. To book interviews, please email nikita@parkerpr.ca.
Programs and Reach
TD Contemporary Kids and Community is a comprehensive suite of educational offerings serving children, youth and people aged 55 and older. The programming will offer:
Free Weekend Workshops for children aged 5 and over, designed to reduce financial barriers to accessing the arts.
School Tours to foster community and allow students to engage with diverse contemporary art.
Strategic Collaborations with like-minded organizations to build community and help us reach groups who may not be accessing the gallery.
55+ Open Studio, a weekly, low-to-no cost drop-in session aimed at mitigating social isolation among older adults through art-making and peer connection.
Impact and Diversity
The grant's impact extends far beyond the studio. The initiative supports two years of employment for three emerging professionals—one full-time TD Educational Assistant and two part-time TD Educational Facilitators—who may face barriers to working in the arts. These roles include mentorship and real-world experience, ensuring these individuals can build viable careers in the cultural sector.
Contemporary Calgary has seen high demand for its educational offerings, with drop-in sessions attracting up to 200 participants and weekend programs frequently operating at capacity. This funding will allow the gallery to meet that need and establish an inclusive, welcoming cultural hub where diverse voices are heard and supported.
"This monumental support from TD is a vote of confidence in our vision," says the CEO of Contemporary Calgary, David Leinster, "It enables us to minimize financial barriers, combat social isolation and visibly demonstrate that an art gallery can and should be a diverse environment where everyone is welcome. We are deeply grateful for this investment."
"My previous role as the TD Educational Coordinator was foundational to my career. Support from TD and Contemporary Calgary gave me the confidence and experience I needed to develop in my position. Now, as a full-time employee here at Contemporary Calgary, it’s a deeply satisfying, full-circle moment to welcome the new Educational Assistant and Facilitators. I know firsthand the profound impact this opportunity will have on their careers and can’t wait to support them as they begin their own professional journeys," says Yilu Xing, Contemporary Calgary’s current Educational Coordinator.
“We are thrilled to be able to grow our educational programming with TD’s support,” adds Mona Filip, Chief Curator at Contemporary Calgary, “These programs help us cultivate the next generation of critical thinkers and creative citizens.”
"We're so proud to continue our relationship with Contemporary Calgary and help make inclusive visual arts programming more accessible for kids across our city," said Robert Ghazal, Senior Vice President and Alberta Region Head, TD Bank Group, "Through the TD Ready Commitment, our corporate citizenship platform, we're supporting organizations focused on increasing arts and culture initiatives that reflect and amplify new, underrepresented and diverse voices."
The $240,000 grant ensures Contemporary Calgary can continue to build inclusive communities centred around the arts while inspiring the next generation of creative professionals and art enthusiasts. This donation builds on the $260,000 in funding that TD has provided to Contemporary Calgary since 2020.
To book interviews with spokespeople, please email nikita@parkerpr.ca