August 13–15, 2026
Contemporary Calgary
701 11 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2C4

Presented in partnership with Contemporary Calgary and the Beltline Neighbourhood Association

Our third annual BUMP Urban Art Conference has wrapped up: thank you to all the artists, curators, musicians, journalists, thinkers, and attendees that made this event what it is. Special thanks to Contemporary Calgary who not only partnered with us to host the conference but also let us hold our crazy annual rave: CALDERA Additional thanks to Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Downtown Association, Carvel Creative, Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Alberta Views, CIFF and TD Bank Group for their support.

This year’s festival and conference is centred around the theme: “Of Simmering, and the Surge.” We explored how ideas move through through culture, take shape in underground scenes, local communities, and everyday conversations, before gathering momentum and transforming the public sphere.

Across three days, we examined the forces that shape our cities, the tensions between margins and the mainstream, and the role artists play in imagining what comes next. Faye HeavyShield kicked off the conference with a keynote speech exploring materials and methods; Sook-Yin Lee led a riotous conversation about her wild career, and Marigold Santos brought the crowd along for a deep-dive on her tattoo-practice. Panelists from all around the city joined to talk about the questions that touch our lives as artists: where will we rest if we cannot afford to live in this city; how will we work if generative AI destroys value; how do ideas travel through the fringe into the mainstream?