About

Art Central is a visual art complex at the corner of Centre Street and 7th Avenue in downtown Calgary. Art Central has undergone a complete renovation in order to accommodate spaces for studios, art galleries, ancillary retail and related services, as well as a restaurant and café to serve the complex. Art Central opened in November of 2004.

Our Vision

Art Central aspires to be the axis of the visual art scene in Calgary: the place where artists conjoin with galleries and art aficionados, the stimulus for the production of excellence, innovation, and new ideas, the place where art intersects with the community, enlarging its experience and enhancing its perception of art. Art Central will become a timeless institution, a household name to Calgarians, and a must-see destination for visitors.

Our Mission

Art Central will act as Calgary’s preferred venue for the production, display, and sale of visual art. It will provide artists with a stimulating environment in which to create works of art, and simultaneously allow galleries to cluster in one location at the very centre of downtown city life.

About Encorp Inc

Encorp Management, the developer of Art Central, is a family business dedicated to creating, enhancing, and sustaining timeless places. In the last 10 years, the company has focused on the adaptive re-use of historic places through rigorous restoration and renovation, and seeking the best possible uses for the space.

Since 1997, Encorp Management Inc has been active on Stephen Avenue. Projects have included the Alberta Hotel Building and the renovation/restoration of the Clarence Block, as well as, Art Central on a nearby street at Centre and Seventh Ave SW.

The Alberta Hotel Building, one of Calgary’s first sandstone buildings and hotels, now houses two high-end sportswear retailers, Out There and Patagonia; The Cellar, Calgary’s premier wine boutique; and Murrieta’s, one of Calgary’s busiest restaurants.
 

Art Central is the first of its kind in Calgary, a complex dedicated to visual art that comprises of shops, galleries, studios and cafés on three floors. In 2007 and 2008, it won “Best Art Gallery” in Calgary by FFWD readers, a local arts & entertainment newspaper.