Field Trip
October 8, 9 + 10
1-4 PM
Schools are closed, but community spaces are open!
Contemporary Calgary is temporarily expanding our children’s programming to keep kids engaged during the teachers’ strike. Join us for a Field Trip!
Who:
Children aged 5–13 and their guardians. Maximum 30 children plus guardians.
What:
During each 3-hour Field Trip, children will:
Explore two exhibitions through guided tours led by Education Facilitators
Participate in movement activities OR outdoor activities
Learn about colour theory and fundamental painting techniques
Complete an art painting project to take home
How:
The workshop price is $20 per child, per session. Registration and payment are required through Showpass prior to the session, and all art supplies are included.
Please note that due to limited capacity and the nature of this program, refunds cannot be offered if you miss the session. Refunds will be offered if you have registered for a session that occurs when schools reopen.
When:
Starting Wednesday, October 8th, we’re offering a weekday children’s program called Field Trip to get kids out of the house and into the community.
The same Field Trip will be offered in three sessions. Please select one initial session:
Wednesday, October 8 — 1-4 PM
Thursday, October 9 — 1-4 PM
Friday, October 10 — 1-4 PM
Note:
This is NOT a drop-off program. Guardians must remain with their children for the entire program.
Guardians may bring more than one child, provided they are able to provide appropriate support for all children in their care. Guardians are encouraged to actively engage with their children during the workshop. We also rely on parents to help make sure children follow gallery etiquette and behave appropriately around works of art. Remember, we look with our eyes and not with our hands! If an artwork is meant to be touched, the facilitators will let you know.
Contemporary Calgary Educational Programs are often photographed. This photography includes the participants, parents or guardians and their creations. If you wish not to be photographed, please let Contemporary Calgary education staff know upon arrival, and they will assist you.
If the strike lasts more than one week and there is sufficient demand, Contemporary Calgary may expand programming to offer additional sessions. Stay tuned for updates!
Wednesday, October 8
1-4 PM
Thursday, October 9
1-4 PM
Friday, October 10
1-4 PM
About our Education Facilitators
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.
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.
