The Mission of the Alberta Society of Artists is to have an active membership of professional visual artists, which will strive for excellence, and shall through exhibition, education and communication, increase public awareness and appreciation of the visual arts.

Exhibitions

The ASA hosts a number of exhibitions throughout the year in conjunction with Galleries and event spaces.  The ASA also invites all artists to explore our open call for submissions for future exhibitions.

Education

The ASA is a large part of Alberta’s visual arts history, through its members, its exhibitions and other initiatives. The Alberta Society of Artists was founded in 1931, making it the oldest society of juried professional artists in the province.

TREX

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX) is a government-sponsored initiative designed to promote Alberta art and artists. The ASA hosts the Region 3 - TREX SW program.

Members

The Society is a Non-profit, Registered Charity that works with public venues to provide enhanced support for existing programs in education and exhibition. Members of the Society are juried in by their peers and provide professional recognition to the province’s artist community.

A Brief History

The Alberta Society of Artists (ASA) is a large part of Alberta’s visual arts history, through its members, its exhibitions and other initiatives. The Society founded in 1931, is the longest-standing society of juried professional artists in Alberta.

The Alberta Society of Artists was founded by a group of Calgary artists led by Alfred C. Leighton and incorporated in 1931. The objectives of the Society are to foster and promote the fine arts in Alberta. A.C. Leighton, the first president, was succeeded by a number of prominent Alberta artists including H.G. Glyde, Illingworth Kerr, Stan Perrot and Ken Sturdy. The Society published several issues of a newsletter Artometer in the 1930s, followed by Highlights, which began publication in the late 1940s. Highlights flourished under the editorship of Jim Nicoll, when it included original works of art and was published in limited editions of 100 issues, the average size of the membership at that time.

– The Alberta Society of Artists: The First Seventy Years

Image courtesy of Hodgins Art Auctions Ltd.

What's Happening Now?

Our Membership

The Society is a non-profit, Registered Charity that works with public venues to provide enhanced support for existing programs in education and exhibition. Members of the Society are juried in by their peers and provide professional recognition to the province’s artist community. Alberta artists may apply for Juried Membership during our annual drive.
There is an open membership category for Associate Members who may contribute to the Society in many ways. They may volunteer, apply for exhibitions and participate in board activities, including annual meetings wherein they have the right to vote. All Members receive a newsletter that has been in existence since the 1930’s.
Non-member artists may participate in most exhibition calls. Our group exhibitions are ‘blind’ juried by a revolving list of both juried ASA members and other invited professionals. We welcome and encourage non-member participation.
(photo credit: John Dean – 1981 50th Anniversary of the ASA)
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Educational Programming

Every year, the Society provides scholarships to post-secondary and graduate Visual Arts students who attend colleges or universities in Alberta. Our Exhibitions and speaker and artist talk events reach the general public throughout Alberta in venues that are free to the public: The Art Gallery of Alberta Community Gallery and the Walterdale Theatre in Edmonton, the Northern & Southern Jubilee Auditoria, the Calgary Public Libraries, Western GM Gallery in Drumheller, and Crowsnest Pass Art Gallery in Blairmore exhibit our juried group exhibitions annually.
In addition, the ASA is responsible for the TREX program in Southwestern Alberta. TREX provides art exhibitions to communities, schools and libraries throughout its designated region. 
(photo: ASA leading a workshop at The Kirby Centre)
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