Art lovers gather at Contemporary Calgary for glittering Look Gala 2025

Contemporary Calgary hosted a fundraising gala and held an art auction featuring artists work from across Canada.

Contemporary Calgary threw a gala party Saturday night and a few of the more than 1,000 guests may have gone home with some of Canada’s finest art.

Contemporary Calgary CEO David Leinster said Look Gala 2025 was a celebration of the people who support contemporary Canadian artists as well as a few Canadian artists themselves.

"It started in 2014 and it’s an opportunity to celebrate the incredible support in our community for contemporary art,“ Leinster said.

“And of course, we’re here at the centennial planetarium, which transformed so many times throughout a year,” he added. “But tonight, it transforms for an amazing evening with so many people. We’re expecting more than 1,000 people here tonight.”

Many Look Gala-goers were there to bid on an art auction that included a number of prominent pieces, Leinster said.

“There’s more than 70 pieces at auction, and it includes center stage is a 1960 Jean Paul Riopelle painting, an oil on canvas, which was donated by a board member and community community advocate.

“And there’s artists from all across Calgary,” he added. “There’s artists from across the country and even internationally -- and it really represents one of the best art auctions in the country that celebrates the incredible talent that we have here.”

The Look Gala included a VIP dinner, performances by Timothonius, Zoe Theodorou, Justine Tyrell, Sister Nancy, Jade Encore, poetry from textile artist Simone Elizabeth Saunders, and DJ sets from Juno Award winner Bambii and Buccal Theft.

The gala raises money for Contemporary Calgary.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Leinster said. “It represents a little more than a third of our operating funding, but it’s more than the money.

“It’s the people,” he added, “like 1,200 people getting dressed up, having a good time supporting artists, supporting Contemporary Calgary.

“It’s way more than the money we raise,” he said, “but the money we do raise does go to our programs and exhibitions. It helps with our children’s programs, and so every dollar that is invested here goes right into this organization that is supporting countless Calgary artists and across the city.”

For more information about Contemporary Calgary, go here.

With files from CTV’s Darren Wright