Alberta University of the Arts

KOAC Neighbour Appreciation Day

📅 June 28, 2026
⏰ 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
📍 Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre (KOAC)

🌿 Free guided sculpture park tours every hour
🎨 Open studio with artist Toni Cormier (BFA '19, Drawing)
🐝 Learn about onsite beekeeping with artist and beekeeper Patricia Lortie
🖌️ Drop-in art activity with artist Blake McLeod

No registration required — just drop by and enjoy!

https://www.auarts.ca/event/koac-neighbour-appreciation-day

What if Calgary’s jersey barriers became works of art?

Through the Urban Layers project, AUArts students teamed up with the University of Calgary and The City of Calgary to reimagine everyday urban infrastructure using creativity, technology and large-scale 3D printing.

Four student concepts have been selected for fabrication, and this summer, Calgarians will see the first installation unveiled downtown.

https://www.auarts.ca/article/urban-layers-auarts-students-reimagine-calgary-streetscape

For Monika Smith (BFA Ceramics '08), creativity has always been about asking questions, exploring new ideas and embracing lifelong learning.

Now, through a transformational legacy gift to AUArts' Centennial Scholarships initiative, she's helping future students pursue their creative potential with confidence and freedom.

"Being in a community of artists was so wonderful," says Monika. "I learned things I could not imagine." 💙

https://www.auarts.ca/article/a-life-fired-in-clay-and-curiosity

What advice would you share with future AUArts creatives?

“Never be afraid of your own potential. Lean into the unknown to find your growth and learn where art and creative thinking can take you.”

The most rewarding opportunities often begin outside your comfort zone. Embrace uncertainty and trust your creative journey.

After Hours Artist Talk: A Branch of Flowering Plum

AUArts Associate Professor Natali Rodrigues (BFA '99, Glass) will discuss her artistic and teaching practices, exploring how both are rooted in experimentation, playfulness, material knowledge and skill — while leading to very different outcomes.

Through glass and drawing, her work investigates moments of deep connection and transformation, asking how feelings and truths can be expressed through material and mark-making.

📅 June 18
⏰ 7–8 p.m.
📍 AFA Art House (2nd Floor, 150–9 Ave SW)

https://www.auarts.ca/event/after-hours-artist-talk-a-branch-of-flowering-plum

Exhibition: Fairytale Fantoms

This exhibition by AUArts alum Sonia Garyayev (BFA '24, Drawing) brings together a collection of acrylic paintings inspired by folklore, illustrative storytelling and the visual language of children's books.

Through richly detailed characters and narrative scenes, the exhibition explores imagination, symbolism and emotional complexity, challenging simplified notions of childhood and highlighting resilience, curiosity, introspection and transformation.

🗓 June 29 – July 27
📍 2nd Level Gallery, cSPACE Marda Loop

Poster design by Michelle Mah (BDes '25, VCD).

https://www.auarts.ca/exhibition/fairytale-fantoms

🌈 AUArts alumni are making an impact through q***r art in Calgary.

From vibrant murals and graphic novels by Kat Simmers (BDes '17, VCD) to the joyful illustrations, animations and films of Mike Hooves (BDes '16, VCD), these artists are helping shape a more inclusive and creative city through their work.

Photo: Kat Simmers. Credit: Jevon Bailey

https://thescenecalgary.com/art/q***r-art-in-calgary/

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AUArts alumni are transforming ATB spaces into vibrant, accessible galleries — bringing Albertan creativity into everyday life.

https://www.auarts.ca/news/art-where-you-live-auarts-and-atb-bring-art-into-everyday-spaces

🏆 Congratulations to Jillian Cote (BFA '24, Sculpture), recipient of a White Hat Award in the Exceptional Server: Banquets | Events category!

At Heritage Park Historical Village, Jillian is known for going above and beyond — whether it's delivering water to volunteers, giving up her spot in the cold so someone else can warm up, or helping a family from Ukraine connect with a piece of home through the park's Ukrainian heritage experiences.

https://www.avenuecalgary.com/sponsored/the-63rd-annual-calgary-white-hat-award-winners/ -cote

We’re sharing highlights from our 100-year journey — explore the full timeline at auarts100.ca.

1960/61 — A new name, a distinct identity 🎓

On December 24, 1960, the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art became the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), following the establishment of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton.

Within this shift, the Art Department — still part of SAIT — took on a new identity: the Alberta College of Art (ACA). It marked a defining step in recognizing art education as its own evolving discipline. A new ACA logo was created during this period, credited to Ken Sturdy and Keith Thomson.

Discover more stories from our first century at auarts100.ca.

Photo: Alberta College of Art logo, designed by Ken Sturdy and Keith Thomson.