First Fridays

First Fridays On the first Friday of every month, join the galleries in Red Deer and Central Alberta in celebrating local, regional and national artistic talent.

The galleries buzz with art experiences, open gallery spaces, social mingling and maybe some entertainment.

This year’s RDP Film Production Year End Gala is happening this Saturday April 19th 5:30-9:30pm at the Arts Centre Mains...
04/17/2026

This year’s RDP Film Production Year End Gala is happening this Saturday April 19th 5:30-9:30pm at the Arts Centre Mainstage! Free and opening to the public! 🎉🥳

Pigment of Your Imagination Artists: Margaret Blank, Lyn Anderson, Marlene Kallstrom-Barritt, Wendy Meeres, Roger Neufel...
03/27/2026

Pigment of Your Imagination
Artists: Margaret Blank, Lyn Anderson, Marlene Kallstrom-Barritt, Wendy Meeres, Roger Neufeld, Brenda Garrett and many more!
Media: Various
Location: Curiosity Art and Framing 5002 48 St, Red Deer, AB
Dates: April 1st - May 26th, 2026
Description: Step into the Curiosity Art & Framing gallery and see our latest exhibit "Pigment of Your Imagination"! This exhibit features Monochromatic art pieces of various subjects. With one colour and shading see the fantastic pieces these local artists have created for your viewing. The exhibit is on display April 1st - May 26th, 2026.

Red Deer Steamroller Print EventDate: Saturday, April 18, 2026Time: 1:00–4:00 PMLocation: Parking Lot P, Arts Centre – R...
03/27/2026

Red Deer Steamroller Print Event
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 1:00–4:00 PM
Location: Parking Lot P, Arts Centre – Red Deer Polytechnic
Description: Join Red Deer Polytechnic’s Visual Art students for an unforgettable large scale printmaking event outside the Arts Centre. Watch as hand carved woodcuts are inked and printed using a steamroller, transforming the parking lot into a print studio, hosted by students in ART 2393 2D Art + Technology II.
Free and open to the public.
Bring your own lawn chair.
Email Instructor [email protected] for more information.

03/26/2026

Pop In Pop Up: Visual Art Student Exhibition
Artists: Red Deer Polytechnic Students
Medium: Various
Red Deer Polytechnic Learning Gallery & Studios,
Exhibition Dates: Tuesday April 21st 3pm-5pm

Built for Adventure: Red Deer Polytechnic Year End ExhibitionLocation: Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG), 4525 47A Ave...
03/26/2026

Built for Adventure: Red Deer Polytechnic Year End Exhibition

Location: Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG), 4525 47A Avenue
Artist: Red Deer Polytechnic Students
Medium: 2D and 3D artworks
Dates: March 28th – April 18th ,2026
Open Reception: April 2, 2026 | 7-9pm | Doors 6:30pm

Description: Featuring the work of students in the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Visual Arts Program, Built for Adventure celebrates the bold, unpredictable journey of artistic discovery. This exhibition showcases emerging artists as they explore new materials, ideas, and creative directions. Proving that being an artist means embracing the unexpected with both skill and courage. Opening remarks, recognition, and awards begin at 7PM with a complementing reception courtesy of the RDP Cook Apprenticeship program, supported by Servus Credit Union, to follow.

Description: Built For Adventure features the work of students in the Red Deer Polytechnic Visual Arts Program. The title reflects the bold, unpredictable journey of artistic discovery and the resilience required to navigate the unknown. Whether exploring new materials in the studio or charting a course for a professional career, these works prove that an artist is always a traveler at heart. Being an artist means being ready for the unexpected and it is an adventure that requires both skill and courage.

First "Second" Friday: Open Galleries
Date & Time: April 10, 2026 | 5-8pm
Description: This “Second” Friday is happening on the second week in April. Join us on April 10, from 5-8pm for snacks and refreshments and to check out the work of students in the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Visual Arts Program. Built for Adventure celebrates the bold, unpredictable journey of artistic discovery. This exhibition showcases emerging artists as they explore new materials, ideas, and creative directions. Proving that being an artist means embracing the unexpected with both skill and courage.

Fingerprints: the Wildlife of Alberta in WatercolourArtist: Lewis Lehman Media: watercolourThe Corridor Community Galler...
03/26/2026

Fingerprints: the Wildlife of Alberta in Watercolour

Artist: Lewis Lehman
Media: watercolour
The Corridor Community Gallery, 4501 47A Ave, inside the Don Moore Recreation Centre
Dates: March 25 – May 28, 2026

Exhibition description: The pattern of spots on a Brown Trout’s scales, the way sunlight pierces through the eddies of a stream, the bits of wrinkled bark remaining on a weathered branch - all of these deserve a moment of contemplation. All preserve the fingerprints of the Creator. This simple watercolour exhibit hopes to inspire a sense of awe and appreciation for God’s design in this region of the world.

About the Artist:
Lewis Lehman is a realistic watercolour artist from Red Deer, Alberta. At just 16 years old, he draws inspiration from Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders and Dustin Van Wechel. Lewis’ love of creation, various outdoor activities and his wildlife biologist (and artist) father have influenced his artistic style and subject choice. Initially drawing inspiration from his father’s realistic wildlife drawings, Lewis continued to grow his skills from there. Lewis has won all three of the art contests in which he has participated, earning small money prizes and even a computer!

In the world, but not of it. Hutterite Photography by Tim SmithLocation: Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG), 4525 47A A...
02/20/2026

In the world, but not of it. Hutterite
Photography by Tim Smith
Location: Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery (MAG), 4525 47A Avenue
Artist: Tim Smith
Medium: Photography
Dates: December 6th – March 7th ,2026

Artist Talk | March 7 | 2pm


For the past 15 years, Manitoba-based photographer Tim Smith has documented the daily lives of the Hutterites — a pacifist Anabaptist community with roots in the 16th-century Reformation. Living in colonies across western Canada and the northwestern United States, the Hutterites maintain their culture and traditions through communal living, self-sufficiency, and a steadfast separation from mainstream society. With over 45,000 members in approximately 500 colonies, they represent one of the most enduring and successful models of communal life today.

Upon Return: Landscapes by Jessica SymonsArtist: Jessica SymonsMedium: Oil on CanvasThe Red Deer Arts Council Community ...
02/19/2026

Upon Return: Landscapes by Jessica Symons
Artist: Jessica Symons
Medium: Oil on Canvas
The Red Deer Arts Council Community Gallery, Suite 6–4919 49 Street
Exhibition Dates: February 23rd – April 10th, 2026
March 6th, 2026, from 5:00 – 7:00pm
Artist Jessica Symons will be in attendance

Red Deer Arts Council is pleased to present Upon Return: Landscapes by Jessica Symons on display in the Community Gallery.

Description: Born in Alberta and shaped by years spent exploring the breathtaking landscapes of the Canadian Rockies, Jessica returns with a powerful new body of work that bridges memory, distance, and rediscovery. After moving to the United States as a child, she carried the majesty of the Rockies with her only to find, upon her return as an adult, that while communities and perspectives had shifted, the land itself remained steadfast.
This exhibition is a moving tribute to Alberta’s enduring wilderness: a series of evocative paintings that serve as both love letters to the landscape and a deeply personal journey home.

Artist Statement: Jessica Symons is a self taught artist whose practice is rooted in community, storytelling, and resistance. I create because art is one of the few places where complex emotions can coexist without needing permission. My work takes the form of landscapes, and while these scenes may initially appear quiet or apolitical, they are deeply tied to my values and lived experience. Land holds the weight of what has happened on it, from displacement and extraction to care and refuge.
Working primarily in an impressionistic and expressive style, I focus on mood, movement, and emotional truth rather than strict realism. Texture, layered colour, and visible brushwork allow the land to feel active and alive. I often begin intuitively, letting the work unfold through response and experimentation, mirroring how people relate to land through feeling before language and understanding.

“What is Contemporary Art?”Artists: Alison Forsberg, Bailey Horton, Carmen Therriault, Kerry Tronnes, Kristine Abramoff,...
02/19/2026

“What is Contemporary Art?”
Artists: Alison Forsberg, Bailey Horton, Carmen Therriault, Kerry Tronnes, Kristine Abramoff, Margaret Hall, Lorene Runham, Rebecca Grindon, Susan Delaney, Ula-Erin Chauvet and William Armstrong
Medium: Various 2D and 3D art
Location: Kiwanis Public Art Gallery, Red Deer Public Library – Downtown Branch, 4818 49 Street
Exhibition Dates: February 9th – April 10th, 2026

First Fridays Red Deer Opening: April 10th, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Red Deer Arts Council and Red Deer Public Library are pleased to present, “What is Contemporary Art?” Contemporary art reflects current social, cultural, and political issues, engaging viewers in a dialogue about identity, technology, and global concerns. Contemporary is also artistic expressions created by living artists in today’s current times.
Themes driven by the environment, political uncertainty, new emerging technologies, and expression of individual visual storytelling could be used for inspiration Consider what themes your work explores. What is Contemporary Art to You?

Anima Motrix V.2.0Artists: Trudy Golley & Paul LeathersMedium: MixedViewpoint Gallery, City of Red Deer Culture Service...
02/18/2026

Anima Motrix V.2.0
Artists: Trudy Golley & Paul Leathers
Medium: Mixed
Viewpoint Gallery, City of Red Deer Culture Services (Central Intermediate School,) 5205 48 Avenue
Dates: March 5, 2026- April 23, 2026
Reception: April 10th from 5-8pm

Artist Talk: Thursday, March 26, 7-8pm

Exhibition description:
Anima Motrix v.2.0 includes collaborative artworks in ceramics, metals, and mixed media. The artists construct forms that capture, transmit, obstruct and redirect light, and are interested in how such elements may be brought into conjunction with each other to create novel experiences for the viewer to encounter. Without depicting a specific event, object or place, they aim to capture and hold the viewer’s attention, trigger the imagination, and address notions of conceptual and intellectual illumination.

About the Artists:
Trudy Golley and Paul Leathers are internationally active Canadian artists with extensive experience in education, residencies, and workshops across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Golley holds degrees from the Alberta College of Art, the University of Calgary (BFA), and the University of Tasmania (MFA), is an RCA and IAC member, and recently retired from teaching ceramics at Red Deer Polytechnic. Leathers studied at Sheridan College, NSCAD (BFA), and the University of Calgary (MFA), is an RCA member, and previously headed the Jewellery & Small Object Design program at the Kootenay School of the Arts. Both artists are major grant recipients and are represented in significant public and private collections internationally.

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