CANMORE, AB, September 1, 2026 — artsPlace is exploring the feasibility of a larger community arts and culture facility in the heart of downtown Canmore, with a new agreement with the Town of Canmore and a significant investment from Calgary Foundation allowing the project to move into its next phase.
Called The Art of Community Building, the project will explore the potential for a purpose-built facility on the block that includes artsPlace’s current site at 950 8 Avenue. The work will look not only at arts and culture needs, but how the site could accommodate other community priorities such as transit, public washrooms, public space, below-market housing, parking, office space, and other shared uses.
The project responds to growing pressure on artsPlace’s current facility and changing community needs. Since opening in 2015, artsPlace has grown to welcome more than 28,000 visits each year, while its physical capacity has remained the same. Classes and workshops regularly have waitlists, the theatre is booked nearly year-round, and requests from community organizations and partners increasingly exceed the space available.
“For the past few years, we’ve been asking how a larger community arts and culture facility could respond to the needs of a growing and increasingly diverse Canmore,” says Jeremy Elbourne, Executive Director of artsPlace. “This is about much more than what artsPlace needs. It’s about what becomes possible when a community has the right places to gather, create, learn, perform, celebrate, and connect with each other, their community, and this place. We have an opportunity to imagine something beyond a bigger artsPlace—something entirely new, built around what this community needs now and in the future.”
Canmore Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation, which operates artsPlace, on September 1, 2026. The agreement sets out how the Town and artsPlace will work together during this feasibility phase of the project, which includes a community engagement process, concept design and costing, operational feasibility, and business model development.
The MOU does not approve construction of a new facility, transfer land to artsPlace, or commit the Town to funding a future building. Any decision to move beyond feasibility would require further community input, technical and financial analysis, funding, municipal approvals and future consideration by artsPlace and the Town of Canmore.
“As Canmore continues to grow and evolve, we need to think creatively about how community spaces can serve multiple needs and bring people together. I look forward to hearing the results from this work, which will give residents an opportunity to explore whether a shared community hub could strengthen arts and culture while also supporting priorities like housing, public space, transit, and other services,” says Mayor Sean Krausert.
The feasibility work itself is being supported through grants and private donations. To date, artsPlace has secured over $630,000 for The Art of Community Building, including a significant $210,000 investment from Calgary Foundation.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Calgary Foundation and the donors who believe in the value of arts and culture and in the importance of investing in places that bring people together. Their support gives us the opportunity to continue doing what artsPlace has always done: listen to this community, learn from it, and build something extraordinary together,” says Elbourne.
The community will have its first opportunity to learn more about the community engagement process at the Canmore Festival of Art and Creativity on Saturday, September 19 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at artsPlace, where project consultants J5 Design will introduce the codesign approach, explain how it will work, and share ways people can contribute as the feasibility phase moves forward.
Learn more about the Art of Community Building.
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For more information or to book an interview contact:
Jenny Spurr (she / her)
Director of Communications
artsPlace
Tel.: 403.431.0261 (mobile)
Email: jenny@artsplacecanmore.com
About artsPlace: Located in the heart of downtown Canmore, artsPlace offers live music, exhibitions, films, workshops, and special events featuring local acts and artists from across Canada and beyond. Whether you’re looking for an intimate concert, a thoughtful gallery visit, or a hands-on creative experience, artsPlace is a place to connect with the people, ideas, and creative spirit that make this mountain community unique. artsplacecanmore.com
artsPlace is operated by the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation, a registered charity, operating independently from the Town of Canmore.
