OVERVIEW
We acknowledge that there has been art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony on this land since time immemorial and it is in the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work.
Acknowledging the traditional territories on which we gather has become a customary practice at Calgary Arts Development and an important step in our truth and reconciliation journey.
More than just words to memorize and recite, the land acknowledgement is a way to remember and honour the Original Peoples of this land — those who have stewarded this land for millennia. The land acknowledgement goes hand in hand with our commitment to ensuring Indigenous art and artists are given respect and support, not only through our programs specifically for Indigenous artists but through all our programs.
Six years ago, we created a musical land acknowledgement to begin the 2019 Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions, featuring Olivia Tailfeathers and the Grassland Singers, visual artist Mandy Stobo, and Calgary Arts Development President & CEO Patti Pon.
We believe that finding a personal connection to the land acknowledgement is essential and we strive to communicate that personal meaning every time. Adding music and visual arts to the land acknowledgement at that Mayor’s Lunch for Arts Champions was an example of how we connect the meaning of our work to this land and the peoples who have lived here since time immemorial.
We thought we were living in interesting times before, but each year seems to come with higher highs and lower lows. In 2024 our city faced water restrictions, Green Line interruptions, and the effects of an escalating cost of living. Calgary Foundation’s quality of life report, Vital Signs, recounted a bleak outlook from Calgarians with a subtitle: Holding it Together. It reported how Calgarians are feeling nervous about their financial situation, they are stressed about housing, there is rising food insecurity, mental health is slipping, and they’re concerned about safety. Yet, there is hope in the arts. 86% believe a strong arts and culture scene is key to creating a vibrant city and 81% feel the arts help them appreciate other perspectives and cultures. This report acknowledged how important the arts are as a contributor to the quality of life and sense of community and connection experienced by Calgarians.
We know the arts provide hope in good times and in bad, and we are thankful every day that our city council recognizes the value of the arts to improve the lives of Calgarians. Artists and the arts bring people together, share our stories, shape our identity, and create moments of joy and connection in a fractured world.
In 2024 we invested almost $15 million through 659 direct grants to arts organizations, individual artists and artist collectives in Calgary. These grant investments resulted in over 41,000 activities seen by over 5.3 million Calgarians, including almost 8,000 activities for youth.
The pages of this report outline the work we undertook in 2024 to be good stewards of the public funds entrusted in us. We invest these funds in ways that make Calgary a better city in which to work, live and play.
In the fall of 2025, we will have a civic election resulting in a mix of new and returning councillors to lead our city through the next four years. We thank our civic leaders and have faith that they will continue to see and fund the important role that artists and the arts play in making our lives better every day.
Patti Pon
President & CEO
Chima Nkemdirim
Board Chair