Support for Admission-by-Donation Initiative

The Cause

Contemporary Calgary is seeking support for an admission-by-donation initiative for people aged 24 and under.
Contemporary Calgary is a public art gallery located in the former Centennial Planetarium, a 1967 building celebrated for its Brutalist design and exposed concrete walls. Our vision is to help make Calgary a global city of choice by engaging citizens and visitors in artistic programming that is welcoming, inclusive, engaging, and relevant. We currently offer between 10 and 12 exhibitions per year across multiple exhibition spaces, and showcase a wide range of contemporary artistic production by local, national, and international artists.
In March 2024, we were thrilled to introduce an important accessibility initiative: admission-by-donation for people 24 years of age and under.
This pilot program aims to address financial barriers to accessing the arts, especially for young people. Accounting for almost 30% of Calgary’s current population, this group is less likely to attend galleries and museums. As an organization that aims to foster inclusivity, we want to ensure everyone feels welcome here, regardless of age or economic status.
While the economic outlook for Calgary is positive, more and more ordinary Calgarians and Canadians are concerned about cost-of-living issues, with prices outpacing wage increases. For young Calgarians and those with children, affordability remains top priority in determining engagement with the arts and culture sector. This initiative is one way to counter those economic pressures.
With your support we can maintain the admission-by-donation model and encourage more engagement with contemporary art in Calgary. And we can pay it forward – people who choose to donate are helping offset costs for folks who are unable to donate. At the same time, investing in younger visitors now will help us create a culture of generosity where the people who benefit from the program today become its supporters tomorrow.

Who Will it Benefit?

Admission-by-donation primarily benefits young people who are under the age of 25. This group is not just young adults, but also families with children: even if the parents or guardians are over 25, children and young people are still offered admission by donation, meaning that the cost of a family outing can be reduced significantly. This approach is a dramatic contrast to many other Calgary attractions, where high admission costs and surge pricing can be a significant barrier to access.
We also recognize that not all people under the age of 25 face the same economic situation. By offering admission-by-donation, people who are able to give are welcome to do so, while those who must prioritize affordability are not restricted in their engagement with the arts and culture sector.
While this program primarily benefits our guests, it also benefits Contemporary Calgary by offering a tangible way for us to demonstrate our values of being inclusive and welcoming. It gives us the opportunity to reach audiences that may not otherwise be engaging with the arts.
The initiative also benefits the cultural sector more broadly by offering an affordable way to directly connect with contemporary art and related activities: admission to Contemporary Calgary also includes admission to the many film screenings, artist talks, and supplementary programs that we offer. We hope that a positive experience at Contemporary Calgary will lead to engagement with other artistic disciplines.