A Much Bigger artsPlace Could Be Coming to Downtown Canmore

artsPlace is exploring the feasibility of a larger community arts and culture facility in downtown Canmore after town council approved an agreement with the organization.

An early estimate identified a need for about 50,000 square feet, more than six times the size of the existing 8,000-square-foot facility. Executive director Jeremy Elbourne emphasized that no size or design has been selected.

The memorandum of understanding between the Town of Canmore and the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation, which operates artsPlace, covers community engagement, concept design, costing and feasibility studies for the town-owned block containing the existing artsPlace facility at 950 8th Avenue.

It does not approve construction, transfer the land or commit the town to funding the project. Chief administrative officer Sally Caudill told council, “There’s no commitment at this time.”

Coun. Tanya Foubert said the municipality nevertheless has a role in helping create community spaces.

“We have a role to play in nurturing how our community expresses itself, how it identifies ... how it connects with each other, and that’s through creating spaces where those things can happen,” Foubert said before council approved the agreement.

Caudill described the current facility, which opened in 2015, as an established part of the community.

“Every time I either am in artsPlace or walk by artsPlace, I find myself wondering, what did we used to do before this place was here? I have no idea,” she said.

Elbourne said the main limitation of the current facility is space.

The organization ran 690 programs and rentals last year, ranging from classes and workshops to exhibitions, films, performances and community events. Its gallery is booked two years ahead, while the theatre is fully booked for evening events in November.

“Just today I received four different requests from people wanting to perform in the theatre, and realistically I can’t add anything until 2028 at the earliest,” Elbourne said in an email to Bow Valley Insider.

The organization says the facility receives more than 28,000 visits annually. It employs 13 full- and part-time staff, although its office was designed for 2.5 employees. Eight workstations share the office, with equipment occupying nearly half the visual arts studio.

artsPlace has examined expansion options since 2018, including partnerships with other venues, leased commercial space and a new purpose-built facility. Elbourne said partnerships and leases could extend programming but would not offer a sustainable long-term solution.

It reviewed 24 potential sites before the current downtown block emerged as the preferred location.

At the scale initially considered, Elbourne said the existing building would be unlikely to remain in its current form. Whether it would be incorporated into a new facility, demolished or repurposed remains undecided.

Called the Art of the Building, the project is also examining how the block could also accommodate a transit hub, public washrooms, municipal offices, public space and potentially below-market housing.

artsPlace says it has secured more than $630,000 in grants and donations for the feasibility work, including $210,000 from Calgary Foundation. No construction budget or completion date has been made public.

Elbourne said most details remain open to community input.

“Rather than developing a plan and then asking people what they think of it, we are inviting people into the design work from the very beginning,” he said.

The process is expected to produce a feasibility report, concept design and an early estimate of what the project might cost. The findings will return to council before any decision about proceeding.

Residents can learn more about the public engagement process at the Canmore Festival of Art and Creativity at artsPlace on Sept. 19.