Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta’s government is providing $5 million to Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) to modernize its facilities and improve learning opportunities as the institution marks its centennial year.
The funding will support upgrades to classrooms and teaching areas, while creating additional spaces where students can study, collaborate and work on creative projects. The investment will also bring new computers, projectors, sound equipment and specialized digital technology to the university.
The announcement comes following this year’s Alberta Culture Days celebrations, which highlighted the role of arts, culture and creativity in communities across the province.
Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall said AUArts has played an important role in developing Alberta’s creative sector since its establishment 100 years ago. He said the investment is intended to help students access modern facilities and equipment as the university enters its next century.
Arts, Culture and Status of Women Minister Tanya Fir said the institution’s centennial provides an opportunity to recognize its contribution to Alberta’s arts community and the artists it has supported over the decades.
Established in 1926 as the Art Department at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art, AUArts has since developed into Alberta’s only stand-alone university dedicated to art, craft and design. More than 14,000 students have studied at the institution during its history.
University President and CEO Janis Goldie said the centennial celebrations brought together members of the AUArts community and reflected the role that students, graduates, staff and supporters have played in shaping the institution.
AUArts is among only three post-secondary institutions in Alberta to have reached the 100-year milestone. Its graduates have gone on to contribute to the province’s creative and cultural landscape as artists, designers and makers, both in Alberta and elsewhere.
