Five Years of Residencies at Sparrow Artspace
What 33 artists told us about their residencies at Sparrow Artspace, and what they have built since.
Presented at the Annual General Meeting · October 27, 2026 · Sparrow Artspace, Bridgeland, Calgary
Who we heard from
Sparrow Artspace opened in July 2021 as a private enterprise. In July 2023 we founded the non-profit Sparrow Arts Society.
In September 2026 we invited 150 alumni who have held a residency at Sparrow Artspace to tell us how the experience shaped their work. Thirty-three answered, a response rate of 22%. They paint, photograph, film, weave, perform, write and compose, and their residencies span every year from 2021 to 2026.
Artists by residency year
Artists with residencies in two years are counted in both.
Where their practice stands today
What artists valued most
A place to work and a public to show it to came first, closely followed by each other’s company. When artists described what changed for them, one word came up again and again: community.
Most valuable parts of the residency
Share of 33 artists; each could choose more than one.
In their words
“As a visual artist I used to work mostly alone, and Sparrow showed me how valuable it can be to work alongside other artists, learn from each other, exchange ideas and grow together.”Doro Buch · visual artist · 2021 and 2026
“What I love about Sparrow is that artists of all career levels can be supported, and encouraged to share their work in personal ways in the community space.”Jasmine Piper · interdisciplinary artist · 2023 and 2025
“The art residency at Sparrow opened my eyes to many important aspects of an artist’s life: the power of community, the support and inspiration that come from collaborating with other artists, and the opportunities that emerge when we are given the time, space, and freedom to create without restrictions.”Ana Zanella · painter · 2023
“I just moved to canada and Sparrow was one of my first exposition, it was amazing for me because I got experience and contacts.”Jessica Chiapa · painter and fibre artist · 2023
How Sparrow shaped their practice
We asked each artist how their Sparrow experience affected nine parts of their practice. Confidence and artistic development came out on top, with 23 artists each reporting a significant positive impact. No one reported a negative impact from Sparrow in any area.
How did your Sparrow experience affect each of the following?
Number of artists out of 33, ordered by significant impact. The unfilled part of each bar is artists who were not sure; two Confidence answers are not counted (one left blank, one that referred to peers rather than Sparrow).
What this tells us
The strongest effects are personal: confidence, artistic growth, and a readiness to take risks and pursue new opportunities. The effects on networks, professional skills, public visibility and later opportunities are positive for most artists but more often moderate, which matches what alumni told us they want more of (see the final section).
“My key takeaway from Sparrow was confidence. Confidence to put my art out there, continue making art, connect with other passionate artists and to feel validated that I am, indeed, an artist.”Sarah Comber · photographer · 2025
“I feel like I clarified my artistic vision in a big way, simply by having to find creative ways of presenting my work in a gallery setting. And of course the friendships, I’m confident those will long long past the residency.”Shea Iles · performer and beadwork artist · 2026
What happened next
A residency lasts a month or two. What artists do with it lasts much longer. Since their time at Sparrow, alumni have exhibited, won funding, taught, curated and opened spaces of their own.
Six alumni, six paths
“What started as a one-month residency has evolved into a new direction for my career.”Kim Webb · 2022 and 2023 residencies
“My residency with Sparrow was the first time I organized an exhibition and dedicated a significant portion of my time to my work as an artist and curator. This experience helped build my confidence and skills to continue this work and am now working on multiple curation projects each year.”Dennis Lee · photographer · 2025
“I was hired by the U of C to lead a workshop as part of a conference because one of the organizers walked by the studio while I was working. I would not have had that opportunity had Sparrow not been an open and inclusive space for the public to commune with artists while they are working.”Painter · 2025 · shared anonymously
Counts are out of 33 artists.
Tracing it back to Sparrow
We asked artists how connected their later exhibitions, grants, collaborations and other developments were to their Sparrow experience. Almost all drew a line back to Sparrow, most often an indirect one.
How connected were these developments to your Sparrow experience?
Counts only the artists who had each kind of development to report. “Indirectly linked” combines the answers “indirectly connected” and “personally or artistically influenced”.
Where artists were when they arrived
Several artists had never exhibited or taught before their residency.
“Sparrow provided me my first place to show my work publicly and in person. Since then it’s given me the confidence to go and show more people.”Ray Muise · 2025
Others were changing direction or returning to their art, and describe Sparrow as the push.
“I got accepted to another exhibition with the same installation idea… It wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have the opportunity with Sparrow Arts.”Ezgi Turker · 2026
For artists years into their careers, Sparrow was one step among many.
“The resulting body of work opened doors to new exhibition opportunities and helped me see the potential for my practice to grow through larger, more ambitious projects.”Alison Frank · 2024
What we heard, and what’s next
We also asked what was missing. Alumni were generous and candid, and their answers give us a clear list to work from in the next five years.
Where alumni want more
An alumni community is ready to be built
Most requested alumni activities: exhibition opportunities (21), collaborations (19), skill sharing (19), social gatherings (17) and a mentorship program (13).
“Keep doing what you are doing, Calgary needs this type of space with normal access for all!”Claudia Lorenz · painter · 2024 and 2025
“To this day, I still feel honoured and privileged to have spent that time at Sparrow ArtSpace and to have had the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful people through it.”Veronica Funk · painter · 2023
“I love Sparrow ArtSpace. It feels like home. I feel safe.”Alumna · 2023 · shared anonymously
Sparrow Arts Society · Sparrow Artspace, 36 4 St NE, Bridgeland, Calgary