With expanded hours beginning January 23 and a $20 annual membership, Contemporary Calgary will be among the most accessible cultural tourism institutions in Calgary, and will soon feature work from local artists and international exhibitions including Yoko Ono, Luke Jerram, Omar Ba, and more.

CALGARY – December 16, 2019

Contemporary Calgary announced its inaugural programming for 2020 today, including Planetary; an exhibition featuring more than 36 Calgary-based artists; UK-based Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon; Yoko Ono’s GROWING FREEDOM: The instructions of Yoko Ono and The art of John and Yoko; Dakar and Geneva-based Omar Ba’s Same Dream; and Everywhere We Are, an ambitious exhibition and public program series addressing art collecting and its many challenges featuring many of Canada’s most celebrated artists.

“We’re excited about our 2020 programming,” said Ryan Doherty, Chief Curator of Contemporary Calgary. “Developing engaging and relevant exhibitions in Calgary that put local, national and international artists together in dialogue is fundamental to our vision. In conjunction with rigorous and diverse public programs we hope this inaugural line-up at the Planetarium ignites excitement in our community for what’s to come.”

In addition to revealing its upcoming programming, Contemporary Calgary also announced an admissions structure for 2020 and beyond designed to make engaging with contemporary art one of the most accessible cultural activities available in the city. Starting on January 23, Contemporary Calgary will expand hours to be open to the public six days per week: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, Thursdays 11:00am to 9:00pm. Regular admission to Contemporary Calgary will be $10 for a single visit and just $20 for an annual membership. At $20, Contemporary Calgary will have the lowest annual membership fee of any major cultural tourism attraction in the City.

“We’d love for every Calgarian to become a member of Contemporary Calgary,” said David Leinster, Chief Executive Officer. “An art institution should limit the barriers for people to engage in cultural experiences. Our values are to be welcoming, inclusive, engaging and relevant. It starts by listening to the community and their collective imagination for what Contemporary Calgary can be, and follows with great programming that invites all citizens to the gallery and an approach to our admissions to make it accessible for everyone.”

Beginning in 2017, Contemporary Calgary’s home, the Centennial Planetarium, underwent a major $25-million life-cycle upgrade and building modernization project supported by the City of Calgary and was completed in April, 2019. In June, Contemporary Calgary launched Collider – an open-studio artist residency that has seen over 30 diverse artists creating art on site while presenting public programs to the thousands of visitors who have come to see the gallery in the first few months of operation.

In July, Contemporary Calgary officially signed a 25-year lease with the City of Calgary, and will be further transforming the building and site with a renovation and expansion projected to cost $92-million. The first phases of these plans (the renovation of the former TELUS World of Science Creative Kids Museum into a 7,000 square foot North Gallery) has recently been completed, and will be unveiled to the public on January 23 with thanks to the Federal Ministry of Canadian Heritage and a private donor who each funded half of the renovation.

In August, the Government of Canada announced a $30-million commitment from the Community, Culture and Recreation program for the Contemporary Calgary project, subject to the project receiving a matching contribution from the Province of Alberta. “We’re beyond grateful for the support, encouragement and investment that has brought us this far,” said Leinster. “We look forward to working with the Province of Alberta and private donors to see this vision finally become a reality here in Calgary.”

“The team has been working so hard over the past year with our sights set on reaching for the stars,” said Doherty, “and on January 23, we are excited to deliver the moon.”

MEDIA NOTES

Additional press materials are available, including supporting quotes from Mayor Naheed Nenshi; the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage; and Patti Pon, President and CEO of Calgary Arts Development.

High resolution images and video are available by request.

Media Contact:
David Leinster
Chief Executive Officer

Inquiries:
Kate Silver
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
kate@contemporarycalgary.com
403-770-1356