LOUD Art Society

“My classmate actually gained some confidence and was able to do better in school after that,” says Vahab. “I felt like there were health benefits of the arts for the community that weren’t talked about enough.”

Vahab went on to pursue a BFA in Visual Arts at the University of Calgary with the support of her parents, despite social narratives that told her she couldn’t make money in the arts. Still, completing her degree meant she had to figure out how she was going to turn art into a career.

In her own immigrant experience as well as battling anxiety and depression, Vahab found that when she would engage with art, it would ground her and bring her back to a sense of balance. Using art as a means to support mental health was something she’d been doing her whole life.

That’s why, the same year she graduated university, Vahab founded LOUD Art Society, with the goal to “enhance mental health through arts and creative practices.”

LOUD’s mission is to “help people practice any form of creative activity in the most affordable and accessible way.” While many services are open to everyone, LOUD’s target audience is at-risk youth, vulnerable individuals, newcomers and women.

Its flagship Corner of Creativity program is a six-week therapeutic painting program where participants learn how to paint and regulate their emotions. This program got its start through a collaboration with The Alex. It has since partnered with various other local organizations to support mental health including Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA), Bridge Foundation for Youth and the Youth Empowerment and Skills (YES) Centre.

Before 2023, LOUD’s work was primarily on a volunteer basis. The society received a one-time operational grant from the provincial government, which initially enabled Vahab to hire employees, including a grant consultant and a volunteer co-ordinator, but subsequent applications for funding were unsuccessful. LOUD had no permanent home, and relied heavily on donations to secure art supplies for its programs. It wasn’t until LOUD received Calgary Arts Development’s (CADA) Operating Grant that it could move from survival into sustainability. 

“CADA really saved us in a way,” says Vahab. “We can now plan. That was the first time we could actually put a budget together.”

Through the grant, LOUD has been able to move into its own space and hold classes for 10 people at a time. It has allowed for expanded programming, with Corner of Creativity taking place every season as well as monthly workshops exploring different mediums, from claywork to songwriting to glass painting. LOUD can now also offer flexible pricing, enabling those who can’t afford the full price of a workshop to pay a reduced fee.

With LOUD Art Society’s financial situation under control and a business plan in place for the next few years, Vahab hopes to expand the organization’s programming and reach, moving into Calgary’s surrounding areas like Cochrane and Airdrie.

“Calgary Arts Development is making an investment in LOUD Art Society by giving us this funding, and I’m going to make them proud.”