Overview
September is Month of the Artist in Alberta. Alberta is the first and remains the only province in Canada to dedicate a month to artists. It is an annual celebration of artists, and the value they bring to the province, both socially and economically.
Join us this September during the sixth annual Month of the Artist in Alberta to recognize and support local artists.
Art is a passion, a livelihood, and a career. Artists’ work enriches our lives, promotes creativity and innovation, and contributes to a more diversified economy. Alberta artists are the weavers of the threads that form our cultural fabric, and our province and our lives are richer for it.
Month of the Artist activities
Albertans are encouraged to take part in as many events as possible and support Alberta artists during Alberta's Month of the Artist.
- September is the final month to view the Alberta Foundation for the Arts art exhibition – Here & Now – at the Royal Alberta Museum.
- Check out the Alberta Culture Days for information on events featuring artists in your community.
To learn more
Download a copy of the Royal Proclamation (O.C. 266/2019)
Alberta’s artists
Alberta’s artists are storytellers, innovators, entrepreneurs, community builders, teachers, and mentors. When the arts thrive, Alberta is a better place to live, invest and do business.
According to the 2023 Survey of Albertans on culture:
- about 76% agree that arts and culture activities make their community a better place to live
Arts Professions Recognition Act
On December 2, 2021, Alberta formally recognized the important contributions artists make to our province by bringing the Arts Professions Recognition Act into force. The Act:
- formally acknowledges artists’ value and contributions to Alberta and promote their work and their rights to help make their artistic enterprises profitable
- protects artists’ economic and contractual rights
- emphasizes in law Alberta’s continued commitment to freedom of artistic expression
- models the way for private and non-profit employers and contractors in Alberta’s economy, and helps legitimize the professional nature of artists’ work
There would be no art without artists. The Arts Professions Recognition Act, the Month of the Artist and the annual appointment of the Alberta Artist in Residence as an arts ambassador, are all part of our commitment to recognize artists’ contributions to the province.
Quick facts
- In 2022, the visual and applied arts, and live performance industries contributed approximately $1.2 billion in GDP and sustained more than 17,000 jobs in Alberta (source: Statistics Canada, Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, 2022).
- According to analysis by Hill Strategies of the 2021 census, there are 18,100 artists living in Alberta (9% of all artists in the country).
- The Alberta Foundation for the Arts disburses provincial arts funding across the province, with approximately 90% of its budget dedicated to grant programs for artists and arts organizations.
Contact
Connect with our Arts Branch:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-6315 (general)
Phone: 780-289-3781 (program staff)
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Fax: 780-422-9132
Email: [email protected]
Mailing address:
Arts Branch
10708 105 Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 0A1