Artists in Residence

Salingpusa Creatives is the new kid in Calgary’s arts-culture scene. Founded in March 2024 with a mission to support and showcase artists from the Filipino community, Salingpusa has been busy organizing arts events this past year. Salingpusa has published an online magazine, co-organized the Likhaan Artists Festival, staged two art exhibits in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate General-Calgary, conducted an artist roundtable, a grant-writing workshop and a BIPOC Writers literary reading. The rest of 2025 will not be any less busy as Salingpusa is currently in the throes of organizing at least two more arts events.

For an organization with a dizzying calendar and a burgeoning role in the Filipino arts community, it is fitting to have found a base at The GRAND. The building’s central location makes it the perfect space for community convergence and artist-driven placemaking, two of Salingpusa’s core mandates. An added thrill for the Salingpusa team is being installed in The Vintage Room which, in the early 1900’s, served as a dressing room for visiting Hollywood actors and other performing artists. Cecilia Alcaraz, Salingpusa’s executive director, shares “At the Vintage Room, and indeed, the entire Grand building, we feel we're in the presence of so much history, performance, art making, community building, and resilience of spirit. Being in this space inspires us to work harder for the artists and the communities we aim to serve.” To learn more about Salingpusa Creatives, please visit salingpusa.com

Header Image: Tinikling & B-Boy mural (c) FilipinX Kasaganaan
Below Image: R. Melvin Alcaraz