Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Alberta Foundation for the Arts The AFA is the primary arts resource and grant funding body in Alberta. This was a milestone in Canada’s national artistic heritage.

Alberta became the first province in Canada to formalize public support of the arts and culture through the passing of the Cultural Development Act in 1946. What followed was the establishment of several provincial organizations, bodies and projects that formed the skeleton of what is now known as the AFA. The Alberta Art Foundation (AAF) was established in 1972, the first of three lottery-funded

bodies mandated to support cultural development in Alberta. At first, the AAF did not focus on grants; rather, it was assigned the task of collecting art on behalf of the people of Alberta. The first piece of art ever acquired to the AAF Art Collection was a piece called Portrait of Don Getty, a print featuring former Alberta Premier Don Getty’s Edmonton Eskimos player card. In preparation for Alberta’s 75th anniversary celebrations in 1980, the Visual Arts Branch of Alberta Culture launched a province-wide traveling exhibition program that featured a number of exhibitions drawn from the AAF collection. When the program wrapped up at the end of the year there was such demand from communities around the province that the AAF decided to continue the program, which still runs today as the TREX Program. With the creation of the Alberta Foundation for the Performing Arts in 1978 and the Alberta Foundation for the Literary Arts in 1984, the province had a variety of approaches to supporting different sectors of the cultural community. In 1991 the government decided to combine the Alberta Foundation for the Performing Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Literary Arts and the Alberta Art Foundation into one. Thus, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts was born on September 6, 1991. More information at https://www.affta.ab.ca/news/afa-origins

06/09/2026

In her AFA Artist Spotlight, Alaynee Goodwill Littlechild shares what it means to have her artworks safeguarded in the AFA Art Collection.

Each of her pieces represents the love she has for those closest to her and her heritage, their preservation in the AFA Art Collection ensures her love for her family, and her culture, will endure and be shared forever.

In celebration of Indigenous History Month, we are proud to share Alaynee’s story with you.

Lakota Winyan, 2009
Winter Scout, 2009
Tahnee Winyan with Cradle Board, 2009
brain tanned hide, horse hair, cotton, buffalo hair, sage stuffing, trade cloth, glass beads, sinew, brass studs, porcupine quill, abalone shells, turquoise, cowry shells
Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

To support the government’s new Music Action Plan, the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women is hiring for a Mus...
06/03/2026

To support the government’s new Music Action Plan, the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women is hiring for a Music Commissioner in a first-of-its-kind role to shape the future of the province’s music sector. If you are a strategic leader with a passion for music and are ready to drive meaningful change, this could be the opportunity for you.

Deadline to apply is June 8.

More information and to apply: https://buff.ly/JE8E4SB

Are you passionate about the arts? Are you well connected within an Indigenous or southern Alberta community? Apply to t...
06/01/2026

Are you passionate about the arts?

Are you well connected within an Indigenous or southern Alberta community?

Apply to the AFA by June 22 to be a Community Connector!

The AFA’s Community Connector program is looking for passionate well-connected Albertans to act as a bridge between the AFA and their regional, cultural, or d/Deaf and disability community.

This year long contract gives the selected Community Connectors the opportunity to help improve their community’s access to the province’s primary arts funder.

Deadline to apply is June 22.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/HT2NyE6

05/26/2026
The former home of prominent landscape painter Ron Myren has recently been designated a municipal historic resource by t...
05/22/2026

The former home of prominent landscape painter Ron Myren has recently been designated a municipal historic resource by the City of Edmonton. In recognition of this designation, we are pleased to share his artwork, View from the Top of Nigel Pass, Jasper (1997). This is one example of his unique style capturing the beauty of Alberta. It was created based on the field notes (sketches) he composed while hiking up the Nigel Pass.

Credit line:

Ron Myren
View from the Top of Nigel Pass, Jasper, 1997
oil and oil pastel on canvas
Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Learn more: https://buff.ly/IsUo0k8

05/19/2026

The AFA was saddened to learn of the tragic accident that took the life of Cris Derksen and left her wife, Rebecca Benson, in hospital. On behalf of the Board and staff of the AFA, I want to express our deep condolences to her family, friends and the wider arts community that has been deeply affected by her loss. A Juno-nominated musician and composer, Cris was an advocate for Indigenous voices in Canadian music.

Cynthia Moore, Chair, Alberta Foundation for the Arts

How does your family shape your creativity? How do they shape your art? With two artworks presented as one, Heart Piece ...
05/12/2026

How does your family shape your creativity? How do they shape your art?

With two artworks presented as one, Heart Piece (2023 and 2024) by mother-daughter artists Maureen Callihoo and Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet highlights the connection between generations, symbolizing the stories and traditions passed down through the art of beading and painting.

For their After Hours talk at the AFA art house in Calgary on May 14, Maureen and Kiona will lead an intimate conversation with a focus on how family, memory, and responsibility can shape artistic practice while acknowledging that experiences of family, parenthood, and motherhood are multi-layered.

We’d love to see you there!

More information: https://buff.ly/Qv58wz5

Are you ready to be Alberta’s next Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador?Through this program, an Albertan artist will...
05/08/2026

Are you ready to be Alberta’s next Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador?

Through this program, an Albertan artist will receive a grant of up to $50,000 to serve a one-year term and create an art project that promotes the value of the arts in Alberta. As part of the residency, the artist will engage with different communities, share their perspectives and an ‘inside look’ of their artistic process.

Applications are now open for any artist that is a resident of Alberta from any artistic discipline. Deadline to submit is June 15, 2026.

More information: https://buff.ly/tSfbPJ9

Did you hear about the newly announced Alberta Music Action Plan?The province will be establishing a new Alberta Music C...
05/04/2026

Did you hear about the newly announced Alberta Music Action Plan?

The province will be establishing a new Alberta Music Commission, which will champion the voices of the music industry to strengthen cross-sector coordination and promote Alberta’s strengths on the world stage.

Alberta’s music sector generates almost $5 billion in economic output each year, contributing approximately $2.5 billion to provincial GDP and supporting 23,000 jobs.

Learn more about how the Action Plan will strengthen the music ecosystem: https://buff.ly/sgS2WDg

Address

10708 105 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
T5H0A1

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Thursday 8:15am - 4:30pm
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