Bird Creatives was Proud to Support the 2023 Celebration for the Arts hosted by Mayor Gondek

A night to celebrate local art and the diverse community that builds it

Mayor Jyoti Gondek performing with the Heebee-jeebees band. Photo by: Motif Photography

On October 18, 2023 the annual Celebration for the Arts - Hosted by Mayor Gondek at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, brought together arts and business leaders to celebrate the incredible creative community in Calgary. Kicking off the night was Calgary’s Poet Laureate, Wakefield Brewster, who served as the event's emcee. We saw a diverse array of cultural performances from over 200 Calgary-based artists including Reuben & the Dark with the Bullhorn Singers, Madhuban Performing Arts, Klave Latin Band, and more. Mayor Jyoti Gondek even got into the action with a surprise performance with the Heebee-jeebees band!

In addition to the electrifying performances, the event also shone a spotlight on excellence in the local arts, as it honoured the recipients of the 2023 Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards. These annual awards are $5,000 cash prizes that support artists, arts organizations, arts administrators and volunteers. The awards are made possible by a local philanthropist or organization with matching money from Calgary Arts Development.

Here is a list of this year’s recipients:

ATB POWERING POSSIBILITY THROUGH THE ARTS AWARD

2023 recipient: Elephant Artist Relief Society

CALGARY CATHOLIC IMMIGRATION SOCIETY NEW CANADIAN ARTIST AWARD

2023 recipient: Sahar Hakimi 

THE LEGACY OF DOUG AND LOIS MITCHELL OUTSTANDING CALGARY ARTIST AWARD

2023 recipient: Francis A. Willey

MAMDANI ARTS LEADERSHIP AWARD

2023 recipient: Fatemeh Tara Vahab 

RBC EMERGING ARTIST AWARD

2023 recipient: Cassandra Suche 

ROZSA FOUNDATION EMERGING ARTS MANAGER AWARD

2023 recipient: Kadra Yusuf 

INDIGENOUS ARTIST AWARD

2023 recipient: Kristy North Peigan 

Bird Creatives was proud to serve as an accessibility sponsor for the event! We are thrilled that the creative economy in Calgary remains a thriving and diverse community with so much potential.

Be sure to check out a summary for the 2023 Celebration of the Arts event by visiting Calgary Arts Development's website, and come out next year to join in the festivities, it's an inspirational evening!

Photos from Motif Photography