Calgary family donates $75 million philanthropic gift to help transform Arts Commons into the Werklund Centre

Arts Commons says a local benefactor has stepped up to help pay for a major upgrade, which will revolutionize the facility.

David Werklund and family has donated the largest philanthropic gift to the performing arts in Canada , raising secured funding for the transformation of the Arts Commons campus to more than three quarters of its $660M goal.

The current Arts Commons complex, located in the 200 block of Eighth Avenue S.E., will be upgraded and a new building will be constructed nearby along Seventh Avenue S.E., next to Teatro, as part of the expansion.

The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and the provincial government have already stepped up with funding commitments for the project.

"(It) will further propel Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) and our city towards its future as one of the most ambitious cultural hubs in the country," Arts Commons said in a news release.

Werklund Centre

The province recently announced $103 million for the expansion, $315.5 million from The City of Calgary and Calgary Municipal Land Corporation’s Community Revitalization levy.

Werklund says he values accessible education and community care and his donation will go towards construction costs creatingthe Dave Werklund Education Wing, in addition to helping establish four funds to support the sustainability of the following institutional priorities: education, accessibility, operations, and an ongoing endowment to rename Arts Commons as Werklund Centre in perpetuity, starting in the 2025-26 season.

Werklund says his donation is based on integrity, building trust and being force for positive change.

"It is my sincere hope that Werklund Centre will be run with these principles in mind and through its innovative programs be a force for positive change, bringing families across all sectors of our communities together,” said Werklund.

"Getting to know the Werklund family has been a highlight of my time at Arts Commons, and I’m so incredibly grateful they’ve chosen this project as their love letter to Calgary for generations to come," said Arts Commons CEO Alex Sarian.

In April, artist renderings were unveiled showing the new 162,000-square-foot building that includes a 1,000-seat theatre, which would boost its seating capacity by 45 per cent.

Arts Commons in Calgary is being transformed into the Werklund Centre and expanding into Olympic Plaza. (Courtesy: Arts Commons)

Construction on the expansion is expected to begin in late 2024, and the building is expected to open for the 2028-2029 season.