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 fifth 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. This includes exhibits from the 2022 and 2023 Artists in Residence!
- Sharon Rose Kootenay, current Artist in Residence, is exhibiting her work in the Lower Lobby at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium now until December 7, 2023.
- Aeris Osborne, previous Artist in Residence, is exhibiting her residency project in the Kassa Lobby at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium now until December 7, 2023.
You can also check out the Alberta Culture Days event calendar 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
But there would be no art without artists. The Month of the Artist, along with the appointment of the next Alberta Artist in Residence as an arts ambassador, is part of our commitment to recognize artists’ contributions to the province.
Quick facts
- In 2021, the visual and applied arts, and live performance industries contributed approximately $1.1 billion in GDP and sustained more than 15,000 jobs in Alberta (source: Statistics Canada, Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, 2021).
- 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).
- Albertans spend $407 more on creating art, enjoying artists, and attending live events than the Canadian average (source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Household Spending, 2019).
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