Free First Thursday
August 6
5-9 PM
Join us at Contemporary Calgary for Free First Thursday, featuring a special interactive art activation by Calgary artist Michelle Atkinson alongside exhibitions and programming presented by d.talks to kick off Design Week Calgary.
Created exclusively for Free First Thursday, Michelle Atkinson's interactive activation invites visitors to engage with her contemporary art practice, which explores weather, environmental data, and abstraction.
Throughout the evening, choose from one of three original designs and watch as the artwork is heat-pressed live onto a limited-edition tote bag, creating a unique keepsake to take home. Part artist demonstration and part participatory experience, the activation offers a behind-the-scenes look at Michelle's creative process while giving visitors the opportunity to leave with an original artwork.
Explore Contemporary Calgary's current exhibitions and discover Design Week Calgary installations and activations throughout the gallery, including Lost & Found—a collaboration with Six Degrees and the festival’s flagship installation, which invites visitors to slow down and attune themselves to their surroundings, its ambient sounds, shifting light, and collective movement.
Pop by Design Week Calgary’s interactive workshop Cycles: Rework & Upcycle pop-up by Jonas. An up-cycling space to create, connect, and practice sustainability. Here you will find a clothing swap/donation bin, a Jonas themed photo op area, a hands-on workshop, and good conversation.
Bring something pre-loved from your closet to donate, swap, or get reworked;and get hands-on at the workshop booth.
Enjoy free admission from 5–9 PM, a curated bar featuring wine, craft beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, and an evening of art, design, and community. All ages are welcome.
Art for All - FREE with registration.
Exhibition tours:
At 6 PM, gather outside the Flanagan Family Gallery for a guided tour of Stacking Crates to Reach a Banana by Quebec-based artist duo Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens
At 8 PM, gather outside the Flanagan Family Gallery for a guided tour of Erdem Taşdelen’s exhibition Wounded in Three Acts
On view:
