Viva the arts this Fall!

Yes, I hate to say it but Fall is nearly upon us. While many of us loathe to see the departure of summer, the Fall does mean the traditional launch of the arts and culture season. As the leaves turn colour, the art world rises up to give us an abundance of opportunities to get out and get creative. Check out these FREE events meant to engage the creative side in all of us.

Culture Days

Culture Days is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility,participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. A national Steering Committee, together with provincial committees (known as Provincial Task Forces) are self-mobilizing at the grassroots level to implement concurrent annual province-wide public participation events each September beginning in 2010. The annual, concurrent Culture Days events across Canada will feature free, hands-on, interactive activities that invite the public to participate “behind the scenes,” to discover the world of artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, and designers… in their community.

To find out more as well as learn how to register your event and access great resources like ‘event checklists’ and ‘public relations toolkits’ see: http://culturedays.ca

Alberta Arts Days – September 17 – 19

Alberta Arts Days is also quickly approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about how you’d like to be involved! Last year, thousands of Albertans discovered, experienced and celebrated our vibrant arts and culture landscape. Hundreds of community groups and organizations partnered to offer 571 events in 116 communities.

Alberta Arts Days has a starring role for absolutely everyone: artists, art organizations, community groups, municipalities, libraries, schools and businesses. This year, show your support for local art and culture by partnering with others in your community to host an event or becoming a sponsor.

Hosting an event doesn’t need to be a major undertaking. It can be as simple as adding an artistic flair to something that’s already in the works, or opening your organization’s doors and offering a behind the scenes look into how art is created. Check out this site for events near you as well as for a number of resources to help you get started to plan your own event: http://culture.alberta.ca/artsdays/

Alberta's Culture Calendar

Are neither of these events quite your thing? Well, fret not. Check out Alberta's Culture Calendar to see what is happening in an area near you. Alberta’s Culture Calendar is a community resource meant to promote Alberta’s arts, heritage, volunteer and other cultural information and activities. Check out the link below to find events in your community or to look for events on specific days.

This site also allows users to submit their own events: http://culture.alberta.ca/events/default.aspx

So there you have it! Three fantastic ways to get active, get creative, and engage with the arts, culture, and heritage this fall.

I know that I'll see you out there....