Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre and Sculpture Park

The Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre is a year-round, sustainable, art-in-nature destination, founded by distinguished Albertan artists, Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe. The Centre is dedicated to the research, exhibition, education, and documentation of contemporary visual arts and aims to be Western Canada's largest outdoor sculpture park. KOAC is a not-for-profit public art Centre that focuses on; artist-led lectures and workshops, a sculpture park, a botanical garden and beekeeping tours, and exhibitions of local and international contemporary art. As a cultural attraction, the Centre will provide personal interaction with contemporary art for the surrounding community, Calgarians, and International tourists. As Katie Ohe likes to put it, the focus of the Centre will be on “the three R’s” – Retreat, Research and Residence. Therefore, the KOAC concept comprises an art gallery, studio spaces for emerging artists, a research library, and a vast collection of artwork amassed over more than six decades, all surrounded by a large-scale sculpture park in rehabilitated wetlands and a woods sanctuary. Some of the different buildings in the Art Centre include the founders’ gallery residence, a modern structure that will be transformed into an interpretive gallery, workshop area, and library research center. The existing studios, where Katie and Harry currently practice, will be shared with emerging artists to provide multiple studio spaces and host art workshops. The Centre’s future pavilion will house the KOAC collection and programming and other art exhibitions.