Calgary 
Creative expression comes in countless forms, and creative workshops available in Calgary have many art forms covered.
Each is a hands-on and practical opportunity to express creativity and learn new skills. These can be creative workshops you must learn to beef up your resume or simply want to try for fun.
It is also your chance to become part of Calgary’s bustling art scene, regardless of your interests. This could be something more traditional, like painting, photography, or pottery. Your creativity may also take you to the stage. Calgary has several workshops and classes for the city’s performers, young and old, like improv, dance, or singing.
See below to find out where you can get creative in Calgary
Cooking Classes
Cooking classes and in-the-kitchen workshops can be a fun way to spend time with coworkers, family, or friends, and can make an excellent date night. The cooking workshops and classes in Calgary can help you start with cooking basics, can help you learn new cultural dishes, or can even get you started on pairing wine with food.
- Cuisine et Chateau Interactive Culinary Centre (103, 227 10 St. NW) cover a wide variety of cuisine in their weekly classes. They’ll teach you how to create anything from Spanish, to Thai, Italian, Japanese, Mediterranean, or gluten-adaptable dishes.
- The Cookbook Co. Cooks (722-11 Avenue SW) always have full weekly schedules of classes for kids and adults. Those adult classes also offer the option of adding on wine by the glass or bottle.
- Sunterra Market’s (200 12 Ave. SE) cooking classes are available for kids, and kids’ birthday parties. The adult classes are available for team building lunch and learning type of events, or you can book private lessons for your group.
Stained Glass
There are a handful of stained glass studios in Calgary that create beautiful artwork and offer repairs and custom pieces, and there are some that offer workshops to help you make your own piece. These studios also offer their own art through gift shop sales.
- Passion for Glass (1534 17 Avenue SW) offer workshops through which you can create gorgeous souvenirs and home décor.
- Muk-Luk Magpies Stained Glass Emporium (103, 2966 Main St. SE, Airdrie) have their workshops scheduled about six months in advance, so its easy to find a day that works for you. Muk-Luk also offers workshops for resin art.
Baking
Baking is a skill that requires practice. And when it comes to creating things like photo-worthy cakes, or fresh loaves of bread, a little help from the experts can go a long way. Calgary’s bakeries are ready to share all their kitchen knowledge with you to help you create beautiful desserts, pastries, breads, and more.
- Take your baking and decorating skills to next level with Calgary’s Lambert Academy of Sugar Craft (8236 30 St. SE) Their classes will cover all the ways you can get creative and decorative with desserts. The classes are available for kids and adults.
- Baking isn’t always about sweets. The Sidewalk Citizen Bakery (618 Confluence Way SE) in Calgary offers classes focused on breadmaking and sourdough, with drinks and snacks included with your ticket.
Dance
Throw a little twist into your exercise routine with some rhythm and dance. Anyone looking to get moving simply can take advantage of dance classes and workshops in Calgary that are suited to all skill levels and to different age groups. These can be a way to exercise or can be booked for wedding rehearsals, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and other events.
- There are several ways to get moving with the adult drop-in classes offered by Free-Spirit Dance (112 16 Avenue NW): try out Salsa School, a fitness class, dancehall lessons, or book wedding lessons. The schedule is updated to include classes every week.
- Calgary’s Pulse Studios (110 10 Ave NW) have dance classes for all ages, skill levels, and abilities. Plus, they cover a variety of styles including locking and breakdancing.
- Free House Dance Plus offer classes for a huge variety of dance styles: ballet, Bollywood, modern, tap, or contemporary, to name a few. Mix it with some fitness through Free House’s Zumba or yoga classes. The Free House classes are available for all ages.
Photography
Take full advantage of the beautiful scenery in and around Calgary with a photography workshop. Aspiring, professional, and hobbyist photographers alike can find new shooting techniques, equipment tips, and more from these workshops.
- Snap Foto (118 8 Ave SW) is a full-service photography studio in Calgary that share its knowledge through workshops that can bring out your own photographer.
- Learn from a top Calgary photographer with the Master Classes and Workshops offered by Sean LeBlanc.
Pottery or Ceramics
The pottery and ceramics workshops in Calgary can cover skills for beginners, intermediate sculptors, or the advanced crowd. Plus, these pottery workshops are available for a wide range of age groups.
- The City of Calgary offers pottery and clay working for kids, beginner adults, and advanced adults.
- Workshop (BAY 3, 2501 Alyth Rd.SE) in Calgary is a professional ceramics studio with classes for guests and studio space for artists.
Drawing and Painting Classes
Bring out your inner artist with the many painting and drawing workshops in the city. And no matter what your artistic style or chosen medium may be, these classes can cover most of it! The Calgary drawing and painting workshops or classes include oil painting, watercolours, mixed media, acrylic, ink, and pencil.
- City of Calgary art classes include painting and drawing classes for adult that take place inside art studios and are instructed by professional artists.
- Swinton’s Art Supplies is more than an art store. They offer seasonal art classes for mixed medium art, including painting and sketching.
- The Grasby Art Studio (6520 Bowness Road NW) offer a number of ways for aspiring artists to learn, including summer camps, kids’ classes, teen classes, and adult classes.
- Kensington Art (120, 6999 11 Street SE) has a wide array of painting classes, including oil, watercolours, and a Bob Ross-inspired workshop. They also host cyanotype workshops.
Jewellery Making
Discover the art of making your own jewellery! These Calgary jewellery design workshops are a great way to add to your collection, pick up a new skill, and express your creative side. These classes offer a chance to work with beads, metals, wood, stone, and more.
- Little Rock Jewellery Studio (Springbank Equestrian Centre 25 Robinson Rd.)
- Beadles is much more than a bead and jewelry store, although they do have a huge selection of supplies and gifts. The studio offers private and group beading classes.
Soap Making
Learn something creative and practical with a soap-making class or workshop. These soap workshops in Calgary include a lot more than simple bars of soap, too! You can learn how to create aromatic bars with natural ingredients and other bath and beauty products, and you can learn how to find all your own ingredients in nature.
- The Apothecary in Inglewood (921 9th Ave. SE) always update their monthly class schedules. The classes focus on a number of different handmade cosmetics, bath, and beauty products.
- The workshops from Calgary’s Bowness Soapworks (Green Briar Market 4535 Bowness Rd. NW) cover soap making, foraging for natural ingredients, and building your own soap business.
Calligraphy
Add some flair and beauty to your penmanship. These Edmonton calligraphy classes and workshops will bring out your inner artist and your inner writer at once.
- Learn a wide variety of lettering techniques from Kensington Art (120, 6999 11 St. SE) and their variety of calligraphy classes.
Writing
Writing workshops can take a variety of forms and can focus on different literary art forms. These Calgary writing workshops are a great chance to get feedback on your writing, too, whether it is an essay, and poem, or a short story.
- The Alexandra Writers’ Centre (460, 1721, 29th Ave SW) in Calgary host drop-in adult classes, multi-week writing courses, and youth writing programs.
- Calgary’s Public Library has partnered with CBC for their writer’s workshops and offers additional workshops focused on storytelling in general.
Makeup & Beauty
Learn the art of makeup application and how to combine it with your skincare or your budget and style. These Calgary makeup artists and professionals have you covered for any upcoming event- weddings, reunions, graduation, or any large party. These skills are handy for the big life events and your day-to-day routine.
- The experts at Bellamore Beauty in Calgary can come to you for the makeup workshops they offer. The salon also offers a Master Class in makeup application (location provided upon booking).
- Grab an individual makeup lesson from the pros at Lavoom Salon in Calgary; they offer lessons in skincare, product and colour selection, and different eye looks.
- Contact Emilia Beauty Art (location provided upon booking) for one-on-one makeup lessons, group lessons, or introductory teen lessons.
Woodworking and Carpentry
Hone your power tool skills or learn how to build something from scratch with a woodworking class. These classes can teach valuable life skills while you get to express your own creative side.
- The in-house workshops available from Calgary’s Black Forest Wood Company (Bay 7 – 603 77 Ave. SE) offer lessons in fun and creative carpentry. You can learn about different tools, or how to make products with resin.
Plants & Gardening
Getting to know the plants and flowers around your home or garden can make any space more enjoyable. These local Calgary plant and floral workshops can help you in the garden, with houseplants, to create gorgeous arrangements, or to make unique gifts.
- Plant is a local Calgary greenhouse who offers workshops focused on all types of foliage, and which change according to the seasons.
- Calgary’s Plant Plant (5-2501 Alyth Road SE) is a greenhouse and market that also educate in terrarium building, wreath-making, or propagation.
- Find the Spruce it Up Garden Centre (159 – 210 Ave SW) in the deep south end of Calgary, where they host a variety of gardening workshops.
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Sewing & Knitting
Getting creative with fabric is relaxing and gives you some practical products to use around the house in the end. You can start slowly with a sewing machine and technique basics or opt for a class more suited to an experienced seam master.
- Stash (1237 9 Ave. SE) is a Calgary-based art supply company that provides products for knitters, crocheters, sewers, stitchers, and crafters. Their in-store classes can cover all of the above activities, too.
- My Sewing Room (8228 Macleod Tr. SE #148) in central Calgary can become your sewing room, too. Their in-store classes will get you sewing, stitching, quilting, or embroidering.
- The sewing workshops offered by Goldyn Studio (location provided upon booking) can help out beginners and advanced sewers.
Improv Classes
Letting loose can mean different things to different people. For some, letting loose means a chance to perform and a chance to perform with other actors. Luckily, there are improv classes and workshops around Calgary to help you meet people and socialize while getting expert improv guidance.
- Join the Loose Moose Theatre (1235 26 Ave. SE) for adult, teen, or youth improvisation classes. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite.
- The Kinkonauts are a local theatre and improv group in Calgary that share their love for the art through workshops and classes that are scheduled about three months in advance.
Paper Crafting, Journaling, & Scrapbooking
Paper crafts are often a fun and relaxing way to create or to secure memories. These types of crafts can include scrapbooking, cardmaking, or journaling. Plus, many paper crafts can end up as beautiful home décor in addition to keepsakes or memories.
- Learn a variety of crafting skills with the Paper & Ink Boutique like mixed medium canvases, cardmaking, journaling, and scrapbooking.
- There is no telling what unique and fun crafts will be on the class schedule from the Pinnovate Art Studio (137 Mahogany Plaza SE): it could be cards with paint, wood sign painting, weaving, and other possibilities.
Singing
Finding your voice can mean singing practice, meeting other vocalists, chances to perform, or more formal education. You can find your voice and a chance to let your creativity flow through these local opportunities.
- The live talks and workshops offered by the Calgary Public Library are a way to delve deeper into classical and modern music. Some upcoming highlights include a talk from Tegan & Sara (locals) and workshops focused on opera.
- Join fellow singers in one of Calgary’s non-auditioned community choirs: CumVinoCantus, CoolChoir, and Vocal Latitudes, are all accepting singers.
Instruments
Whether you already play an instrument or want to pick one up, there are spaces in Calgary where you can jam out as a beginner and student or as a seasoned vet. And there is room for all other skill levels with these Calgary music lessons and workshops (or jam sessions).
- Learn to play various instruments from professional musicians at Imagine Music Lessons. They offer classes for any age on drums, piano, violin, sax, guitar, ukulele, bass, and on music theory.
- JAM Calgary/AB Records host a variety of jam sessions in different venues around the city. These are open mic events that take place every week.
- The Foothills Bluegrass Music Society have jam sessions all over the provinces, with most of them in Calgary.
Traditional Indigenous Art
One Calgary art studio and gallery are just as focused on sharing their crafts as they are on creating art.
- Moonstone Creation is a gallery and art studio who offer classes in person and online. With Moonstone, you can learn traditional beadwork, how to make dream catchers, or the art of hair tufting (to name a few classes).
Another great art teacher in Calgary is Shelley Pearson who provides classes for adults (15+) in different mediums as well as personal coaching and mentoring.