Contemporary Kids: My Chess, My Rules
October 20 + 27
1-2:30 PM or 3-4:30 PM
Workshop
For children ages 5-12.
Join us for the Chess making Workshop inspired by Marcel Dzama’s exhibition Ghosts of Canoe Lake.
This hands-on workshop invites kids to design their own custom chess boards, create whimsical pieces, and invent fun new rules—like a king who loves to cook or a knight who enjoys dancing. Inspired by Marcel Dzama’s video work, children will reimagine traditional chess, using their creations to tell unique stories and infuse the game with humour, fantasy, and personal flair.
Our free onsite Contemporary Kids programs invite children to learn about modern and contemporary art through unique and engaging art activities.
For children ages 5-12. Maximum group of 30 children, with one guardian per child. Questions? Please visit our FAQ page.
*In case you are unable to attend, kindly inform us by emailing education@contemporarycalgary.com at least 48 hours in advance so someone else can attend.
The same workshop is offered in four sessions for your convenience: two sessions on Sunday, October 20 and two sessions on Sunday, October 27. Choose one session that suits your schedule best.
Sunday, October 20
1:00-2:30 PM
Sunday, October 20
3:00-4:30 PM
Sunday, October 27
1:00-2:30 PM
Sunday, October 27
3:00-4:30 PM
About the Artist
Marcel Dzama (he/him)
Since rising to prominence in the late 1990s, Marcel Dzama (b. 1974) has developed an immediately recognizable visual language that draws from folk vernacular, art-historical, and contemporary influences.
Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Dzama received his BFA in 1997 from the University of Manitoba. Since 1998, his work has been represented by David Zwirner. He has exhibited widely throughout the United States and abroad. In November 2023, Dzama presented To Live on the Moon (For Lorca) a film and performance commissioned by Performa as part of Performa Biennial 2023. Recent solo exhibitions by the artist include Marcel Dzama: Viviendo en el limbo y soñando con el paraíso at the Museo de Arte de Zapopan (MAZ), Mexico, in 2022; Marcel Dzama: An End to the End Times at the Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art, Georgia, in 2021; and Marcel Dzama: Tonight We Dance at the Sara Hildén Art Museum in Tampere, Finland, in 2021.
About our TD Educational Facilitators
Poppy Ghasemi (she/her)
Poppy holds a bachelor's degree in Museum Studies and a master's in Anthropology. The awards she received from the University of Manitoba supported her research on child neglect. She has over four years of hands-on experience working with children and youth in museums and schools in Iran, Turkey, and Canada. Before joining Contemporary Calgary, she was a program educator at the Manitoba Children's Museum. Poppy primarily focuses on activating children's critical and creative thinking skills while delivering programs in English, French, Farsi, and Turkish. She enjoys cooking and walking with her husky along the Bow River during her leisure time.
Dandan Gu (she/her)
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.
Supported by
Supported by
