Supermarche de l’Art was founded in southern France by Sandrine Costa with a concept centred on making locally produced art accessible. Calgary art buyers got their first taste of the market-style event last year after Costa moved to the city and brought the idea with her. “There are 16 tables, 100 boxes on the table, approximately 1,500 nicely wrapped (pieces of original art) that you can touch,” she said. “You can discover art, you can touch and you can talk with over 50 artists present and the prices are between $30 and $300. It’s like a unique experience.” Costa says the artwork isn’t hung on walls for viewing. Instead, each piece is individually wrapped in plastic and can be handled by buyers so they can examine the details up close. “Being able to touch it, to see it, to hold it up close, you can pick up some nuances,” said Chantal Daniel, an organizer. “I have an artist that loves to hide little things in her art, which you might not appreciate on a big wall, but when you have it up close and you get to look at it in its entirety and (having them individually wrapped) brings that vintage feel, that Gen-X feeling of flipping through vinyl records, trying to find your favourite. I love that feeling and I want to bring that back for the younger generation.” Supermarche is a registered non-profit, and the one-day show is free to the public. Organizer Zoe Chalifoux is still waiting for a few of the 57 participating artists to drop off their work, but says the event has 1,433 pieces of original artwork so far. Chalifoux says the 2025 show was a hit with Calgary buyers. “I was sitting at the cash (checkout table) with Chantal maybe an hour after the event started,” she said. “I kind of just looked around and there was a line of people waiting (to pay) and I was like, oh my gosh, there’s a line, there’s people waiting. It was like a massive success, my mind was blown.” Artist Viviana Pacheco is taking part for the second year in a row and says the event is unlike any other art show she attends. She’s bringing 30 pieces to sell. “When you come to look at my art, you’re not getting the exact same stuff that you would have gotten at the other shows,” she said. “So I pick paintings that are completely separate from what is happening at the other shows I was at and people get a lot of choice. They’re not taking home a gigantic piece to try and figure out where to fit it on the wall, so it’s easier for buyers to kind of pick a whole bunch of different pieces from a lot of different artists.” At the sale, buyers will also have the opportunity to meet artists and talk to them about what inspires their work. Artist Amanda Maglas-Long says she’s looking forward to those interactions. “Being an artist is very solitary,” she said. “You’re sitting by yourself a lot of the time and so when you can come together and talk about your art, talk about what it means to you, or even have somebody else go ‘how did you do that — I love it,’ it’s just such a good feeling.” Supermarche de l’Art takes place Nov. 7 at cSPACE in Marda Loop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
