Get ready to be inspired by the mountains!

LISTEN Studios offers affordable creative spaces for you to hear the world around you.

Vision: To provide support for Creatives and Artists to experiment in the development and creation of artworks within welcoming, inspiring, and affordable spaces to connect with nature and  local communities.

Mission: To create a grounded, yet magical setting for reflection and creativity within affordable studio spaces, retreats, residencies, and workshops that focus on uninterrupted time to make, connect and dream surrounded by inspiring landscape.

Listen Studios offers studio, education, and residency experiences.

By stepping away from the distractions, restrictions, and pressures of everyday life, Artists and Creatives will thrive in new environments that breathe inspiration into their projects, ideas, and artwork. Based in Canmore, a community that offers a myriad of inspiring landscapes, amenities, parks, and tranquility, participants can explore the rich histories of the Bow Valley. Furthermore, this strategic location serves as a gateway to numerous inspiring day trips, with easy access to Kananaskis, Spray Lakes, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, Kicking Horse, the Great Divide, Radium, Invermere, Marble Canyon, Peyto Lake, and along the Icefields Parkway.

LISTEN Studios provides basic supports for all artists, creative makers, individual and collaborative teams

to share spaces to create, teach, share and access space for:

  • Beginner to experienced Artists, Creative Makers and Designers to work, individually or gather with friends, and share experiences, techniques and skills.

  • Painters, Illustrators, 2D Artists, Print-makers, Sculptors, Stained Glass Artists, Jewellers, Photographers, Graphic Designers, and Makers to have access to space and basic equipment needs to create for the short or long term.

  • Textile and Paper Artists to quilt, sew, embroider, knit or scrapbook together.

  • Arts Administrators to get inspired and create projects for their local community.

  • Writers, Musicians and Composers to experiment and develop work including creative researchers, historians, archivists and writers .

  • Educators a space to offer unique learning opportunities and skills.

  • Chefs wanting to focus on new culinary pursuits (basic equipment available at Listen Studios, commercial kitchen options are available - please inquire!)

Values

Professional:  To listen to new ideas and explore the development and experimentation of art making skills and practices that promote the value and respect of arts and creativity, delivered by experienced professional artists.

Accessible:  To continue to improve resources for financially and physically accessible programs and spaces for all skill levels and needs.

Sustainable: To ensure recycling and safe material disposal initiatives are in place, access to environmentally friendly equipment and materials and provide healthy safe environments.

Responsible:  Be stewards of the land, respecting nature and Indigenous peoples, histories and collaborations.

STUDIO 209 Facility includes:

  • Cabinets to store materials

  • Washroom with large sink to clean equipment and supplies (ie: screens, etc.)

  • Small communal kitchen with basic cutlery, dishes, fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster, sink and cleaning supplies

  • Air purifier for vapour and dusts

  • Internet access

  • Lights, folding tables and chairs

  • Basic tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, mitre saw, nail gun, air compressor and projector

  • Wall and flat storage space for artworks to dry, storage for larger 2D artworks

Listen Studios was created to be a unique place for artistic expression and collaboration. The founder wanted to provide an affordable space for diverse talents to learn and create together.

HELLO! I am so happy that you are here! My name is Dawn Saunders Dahl. I am a practicing artist who has lived in Alberta all my life. I moved to Canmore in 2015 to work for the Town Arts and Events (now arts and culture) department. I am the Painting / Drawing instructor at Red Deer Polytechnic and I lead and curate Public Art Projects in Ottawa and across Western Canada. I m a passionate advocate for Artists and Indigenous arts communities in Alberta. Since 2008, through various public art initiatives, exhibitions, projects, and events, my work has and continues to be influenced by my deep connection to the land, my ancestral heritage, and my commitment to learning.

I am of European (English, Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, Swedish, French) descent and Red River Métis ancestry (Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Chippewa). I am honoured to be a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta and I was gifted a Iethka (Stoney) name. My strong support for Indigenous rights grew stronger when I attended  the last Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Edmonton. There, I pledged to acknowledge my own advantages and work to include Indigenous viewpoints in my roles in the arts.

You can learn more about me and my artistic practices by visiting my art website HERE

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