Download the the full Alberta Art Days 2011 schedule here (.PDF).

The City of Medicine Hat Cultural Development Department and the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre are proud to join in the celebration for Alberta Arts Days from September 30 to October 2, 2011.

“With an array of cultural activities happening in every corner of Medicine Hat over the weekend, the community displays vibrancy like no other in Alberta. This is an occasion for everybody in Medicine Hat to take pride in who we are and what culturally shapes our identity,” says Tobie Laliberte, Marketing/Promotions for the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre (Cultural Development Department).

The weekend will kick off Friday evening with the Downtown Medicine Hat Artwalk putting together a roving art reception called pARTy!. All the galleries downtown will be open from 7 PM until 10 PM, with the exception of the Esplanade Art Gallery which is open until 9 PM. The Esplanade Art Gallery will hold the opening reception of the two latest exhibitions: Michael Campbell’s Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting and Craig Cote’s Surfacing: Metaphor and Meditation, joined by artist Blake Senini from Calgary, in celebration of the completion of Turn, Turn, Turn (AFA/Esplanade public art commission). Molly Johnson will be performing in the Esplanade Theatre at 8 PM.

On Saturday October 1, Medalta in the Historic Clay District, an official host site for Alberta Arts Days, will hold a Raku Festival from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visitors will be able to choose and glaze a piece of pottery, made by Medalta’s volunteers and watch it be fired in their raku kiln. They will also be serving pizza out of the new wood-fired pizza and bread oven. There will be kids’ activities and admission will be free to Medalta’s exhibits.

From noon until 5 PM, the Esplanade will host the City Centre Development Agency Artisan’s Fair where a wide variety of fine art and local craft will be on display and for sale by artists and artisans from our community. There will also be live music in the Studio Theatre with the Academy Orchestra from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM and Bill Wahl’s No Name Combo from 3 PM to 4 PM while Jake Lennox will provide ambient music in the main lobby. The Esplanade café will have an Ice Cream Social. Admission to our Galleries will be free. Take advantage of this day to visit the Esplanade Museum new exhibit, Pack Your Bags! A Kid’s Ticket to Travel. This is an interesting, engaging, informative and very enjoyable traveling exhibition from the Canadian Museum of Civilization. There will be a free shuttle between the Esplanade and Medalta from noon until 5 PM providing everybody with an environmentally friendly alternative to enjoy these two locations.

The Cultural Centre will also be opening its doors to the public for the day, from 10 AM to 5 PM. Visitors will be able to watch some dance, to sneak in and out of the Recital Hall to see talented pianists of Medicine Hat, to bow some strings, blow some brass and woodwinds and bang on some drums in the Instrument Petting Zoo, to see if their child is a budding Mozart or Beethoven in the Early Childhood Music, to hear and maybe join in the Community Orchestra and to attend an open sound check by Jazz pros with the Jumpin Jammin Jazz in the Black Box Theatre.

On Sunday October 2, the Esplanade Education will have a special day with First Discoveries. Drop in and explore the exhibits with family gallery guides. Celebrate Alberta Arts Days by making your own travel themed etching in the Discovery Centre.

There is a lot more going on this weekend culturally in our community in celebration of Alberta Arts Days. For a full event schedule, visit the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre new website at www.esplanade.ca.