Leduc Arts Foundry continues year-over-year growth

LEDUC -- The Leduc Arts Foundry continues to see a year-over-year growth in its operations. 

The organization first opened its doors in 2016 with a vision to provide a home for local art groups, and has since grown into a thriving, diverse community arts centre. Over the past year, the Leduc Arts Foundry has hosted art walks, galas, and curated gallery events, to programming that supports emerging and established artists.

Their work has included partnerships with schools and community groups, development initiatives, and collaborative projects with other artists and organizations. Communications Director Ingrid Shields says they also welcomed 8,000 visitors to their main gallery in 2025.

"The majority of our visitors are from Leduc, followed by Leduc County," said Shields. "We showcase artwork from school divisions, emerging artists and well-known artists, we extend our gallery to showcase user groups, and artworks by community drop-in." 

One of the many highlights from the Leduc Arts Foundry's 2024-2025 fiscal year saw them host their first annual Remembrance Day exhibition, which was well attended and deeply appreciated by the community. They also held their first Winter Art Walk and were featured in Preview Magazine -- a guide to galleries and museums in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Alberta, Washington and Oregon.

"It was a huge investment year for us with the ceramics studio, and we expended all of our reserves," said Finance Director Kristine Mryglod. "For 2025-26, we're looking for a $50,000 in our revenue, which is a combination of fundraising, sponsorships, grants, and event income."

For this year, the Foundry will be offering a total of 100 classes and workshops for members of the public, up from 99 last year and 25 during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This comes as the organization had 11,281 program participants last fiscal year -- up from 10,156 the year prior -- and 2,361 youth drop-in participants. These numbers have all seen a steady increase over the past five years.

The Leduc Arts Foundry says they are dedicated to promoting cultural understanding, sparking dialogue and healing, and creating opportunities for collaboration and meaningful connection.