North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre
523 - 27th Avenue N.W. T2M 2H9 Calgary, AB, Canada

Friday November 20th is National Child Day and there is no better way for children to be #SeenandHeard than through visual art activity. Art-making provides a creative voice, and visually expresses thoughts, feelings and ideas. This November 20th, dedicate some more time to spend with children; talk and listen, praise them and encourage their passions. Finally love and appreciate them. NMPAC celebrates National Child’s Day by sharing here some images of portraits created by children here at the Arts Centre.

With all of our new drawing and painting classes for adults this fall we encourage you to bring a sketchbook for notes and ideas, plus any supplies and artist materials you may already own. We're also making it more convenient for you to participate than ever! We've created basic kits of introductory artist materials that are available for purchase when you arrive for your class in drawing, watercolour, acrylics, or oils. Your instructor will be pleased to discuss and provide a supplies list that you can take with you to a local art supply store if you wish to take your creative journey further. Please don't hesitate to call us if you'd like to know more about these options for supplies.

What has changed: New classes are being uploaded every Thursday, so check back weekly for the next step in your adventure! Class sizes are smaller. We've built in more time between classes for careful cleaning. You can create your pathway of creative experiences and register for what you want, when you want. What hasn't changed: Our passion to share art and practice with this community. Fabulous artist instructors who will guide and encourage you! https://liveandplay.calgary.ca//pa/reg-prog-activities-nmp

It's back! Teen Potter's Wheel for your 13-17YO clay enthusiasts. Saturdays 1:45-3:45pm starting this week on October 17th. Register for course 51225 on calgary.ca/liveandplay

Today is the day! We're inviting you back! Beginning today September 22, 2020 you can visit www.calgary.ca/liveandplay for a listing of art opportunities for adults, families and children. You can search by facility location or by activity type - clay, drawing, or painting. Register today, September 28th will be the first day of our exciting new offerings. Don't forget your mask. We can't wait to see you!

Is there a young artist in your family who is seeking a creative outlet? Maybe you are looking for something meaningful for the two of you to do together? Family Drawing & Painting 4-6Yrs + Adult offers you both some quality time while creating together with guidance from an artist instructor. Drawing & Painting 9-12Yrs offers independent exploration of some of the fundamentals of art in an encouraging and safe studio environment.... Both of these programs start this Saturday and run for a total of 3 classes (Oct 3, 17, and 24 with no class on Thanksgiving weekend). Give us a call at 403-221-3682 for any program information, or register at www.calgary.ca/liveandplay We provide all the artist materials - you bring the imagination!

New and exciting this fall: Try It - Potter's Wheel! Do you know someone who has always wanted to experience the sensation of spinning clay on a potter's wheel? We have something for them. First-timers can come try their hand at wheel throwing with the support of an artist instructor. We provide the clay and tools. Please note: with this experience, you will not take home any clay pieces that get fired.

Hello Friends of NMPAC. We are officially open for custom firings to support your independent clay practice from home. Please contact our office at 403-221-3682, M-TH from 9:00-9:00pm and you will receive a call back to discuss your request with a ceramic technician. Either Sean or Ezequiel will be happy to provide a quote and the logistics of your firing, including a safe drop off and pick up. PLEASE NOTE: Contacting the Arts Centre must be done prior to visiting as all guests will be scheduled by appointment only. Thank you!

We are still currently closed to the public. If you are a participant from our Spring 2020 session, we understand that you may be eager to come to NMPAC and collect your artworks and pottery. Even though the Arts Centre is part of the Provincial Stage 2 relaunch strategy, Calgary Recreation is implementing a gradual plan for re-opening city-wide facilities in a safe and careful manner. Our Recreation communication channels will post any new updates as they are established.... For information about our limited summer art day camps, please refer to Liveandplay.ca

To all the Gardeners who have made visits on the last Sunday in May to North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre for the last 20 years to exchange plants, conversations, and hopes for the warm season ahead. Thank you for your continued support of this event which would have seen its 20th anniversary this year. Due to the current COVID crisis, NMPAC will not be hosting an in-person event. Instead, we invite you to send pics to our FB page featuring your exchanged plants and your gardens throughout the growing season. The importance of this event which builds our community and supports the passion of those who love to garden will not be forgotten. NMPAC invites you to attend in 2021 when we will celebrate our anniversary and share some incredible stories. Stay safe and happy gardening!

North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre is temporarily closed until further notice as a precaution to help limit the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). More information and regular updates are available at www.calgary.ca/covid19 or phone 311. We thank you for your understanding. Wishing you good health and creative days ahead!

As you may be aware, City recreation facilities are closed until further notice. The process for issuing refunds or credits remotely is being developed. Due to high call volumes please do not call for a refund. Updates can be found at calgary.ca/covid19

It's time we talked about COVID-19. The City of Calgary has been working extremely diligently with our partners at Alberta Health Services (and can we all agre...e on how amazing Dr. Deena Hinshaw and her team are?) to monitor and prepare for the impacts of this virus. I've been focusing on three basic principles. Clean hands, clear heads, open hearts. Clean hands is obvious. Wash (sing Happy Birthday twice, or a song of your choice!) and sanitize regularly, don't shake hands (elbow touches if you're wearing long sleeves, or a nice namaste or even foot-fives will do, and will help you remind others of the importance of hand hygiene), and try not to touch your face. Cover your cough in your elbow. Clean surfaces that you touch regularly. This will greatly reduce the risk of transmission, and will help us "flatten the curve." This concept has been thrown around a lot in recent days, but it isn't new. It means, as in the graphic above, that we need to push out the rate and spread of infection over a longer period of time, so it’s easier to manage. Whenever there is an increase in public conversation of an illness, many looking to take precautions go to see their doctor or go to a hospital. By doing this, we risk overwhelming the public health care system. If you or someone you've been in contact with have traveled outside of Canada and are experiencing lower respiratory symptoms like a cough or shortness of breath, a fever, or general fatigue - call 8-1-1. The medical experts on the line will determine if you need to receive further testing or go into some level of quarantine. Don't be shy to call, and don't worry that a call means you'll automatically be in a 14-day isolation. If you don't meet these criteria, but are still sick -- STAY HOME. We are each responsible for ourselves, but let's remember, that we're also responsible for our community, especially seniors or those with compromised immune systems. Clear heads - The most important thing to note is that there is no reason to panic. This will get worse. There will be more cases. But we are so very lucky to be here. We have a government that works. We have a robust public health system. We need to be smart and cautious, but we will get through this together. Open hearts - Calgary is a city that has always been about community. We have to be responsible for our own health, but we can do a lot to help our neighbours. Maybe that means bringing supplies or a meal to your neighbours' doorstep if they're isolating (don't go inside!) or shoveling their sidewalk. It certainly means taking extra care of the elderly in our community. These moments in our lives remind us of the important things and what we can do every day to help. You should also know what The City of Calgary is doing to prepare for a broader public issue. We are currently assembling a small team that will take a look at all City-organized events and will be evaluating them against the Public Health Agency of Canada criteria (https://www.canada.ca//health-professionals/mass-gathering) to determine if they should go forward or be cancelled. I would encourage private organizations, non-profits, charities, and other organizations to do the same. As the second-largest employer in Calgary, and as the local government, we are ready with our plans to keep essential services, like waste management, water treatment, emergency services, and transit operational so that the people of the city can continue to live their lives and feel safe. Should the situation escalate, we have plans in place. All of these are being coordinated with The Province, and public safety is the number one priority. We must be vigilant, but we also have to remember that our risk remains low. Despite everything that is going on, there is no place I'd rather be than right here in Calgary, where preparation and safety response is the best in the world. Oh, and don't stockpile toilet paper. That just doesn't make any sense.

Spring has sprung! Well, at least it has for our Spring visual art programs ;) Registration starts tomorrow March 3rd www.calgary.ca/register But we invite you to browse all our programs now at www.calgary.ca/artcentres to plan your creative endeavours. ... We hope to see you in the studio! See more

Check out this great workshop taking place at Wildflower Arts Centre with ceramic artist Susan Thorpe! Clay enthusiasts won’t want to miss this. Don’t you want to pour a soothing cuppa from a pot you make yourself!

Tom, we're so proud to have your kindness, good energy and mad skills as an artist instructor on our team! Keep bringing your enthusiasm, imagination, and weirdness ;) to work with you. You have an enormous following of young artists to keep inspiring!

Draw, paint, make prints, or construct a hand-bound book with the supportive encouragement of a qualified artist instructor. We still have spots available in a wonderful array of visual art programs that get started on Monday January 13th. www.calgary.ca/register

However you celebrate this time of year, we hope this season is filled with inspiration, joy, and time spent with those you love. From our sketchbook to yours, enjoy a peaceful midwinter. See you in 2020! NMPAC will be closed from Dec 19th until Jan 2nd when we will be back to regular operating hours.

We were so pleased to have our neighbourhood friends from Ecole de la Rose sauvage recently participate in a potter's wheel class. It's always great to meet a new group of enthusiastic young artists!

Come to NMPAC this Thursday 12th at 6:30PM for the last Boomerang Bags Sewcial of 2019! Put a little bit more good out into the world - one beautiful and inspiring bag at a time.

It may only be the early days of December still, but come Jan 2nd and 3rd you may find yourself exploring options for your school-aged children. We have Arts Ventures for you! Let them enjoy two full days of creative expression here at NMPAC where they will dive into drawing, painting and mixed media. To register www.calgary.ca/liveandplay

Snow need to miss out on all the holiday fun in our studios! www.calgary.ca/register

In celebration of National Child Day Nov 20th don't forget to visit our hallway exhibition of artworks created by children in our fall programs. This lovely show of work will be on display until end of day on Friday! Everyone is welcome to swing by for a look.

Our upcoming winter session of programs will be available for browsing on Wednesday Nov 20th. You can register for your program selections starting Tuesday Nov 26th. www.calgary.ca/artscentres Classes begin in January.