We notice an exhibit about the persecution of gay men under Mussolini's fascist regime will be on display at MacEwan University's John L. Haar Library from March 1 to April 5.
In early 1939, 45 Sicilian men between the ages of 18 and 54 were arrested for homosexuality and exiled to an island off the coast of Italy. Through archival research and on-site photography, Faces of Exile: The Arrusi and the Policing of Sexuality and Gender in Fascist Italy explores the social climate and often overlooked history of the persecution of queer people in Mussolini's Italy. To mark MacEwan's Pride Week, there will be a panel discussion on March 9. It will feature Italian photographer Luana Rigolli, who compiled the exhibit, along with historian Jennifer Evans from Carleton University and Alessio Ponzio, the new director of MacEwan's Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
Metro Cinema will screen two films set in Italy to complement the exhibition: A Special Day on March 4 and My Place is Here on April 1. Ponzio will hold a Q-and-A after both screenings.
Shawnee Kish is among the eight semi-finalists for SiriusXM Canada's 2026 Top of the Country competition. The artists will record original tracks before a public vote determines three finalists, with the winner announced at Country Music Week in Saskatoon this fall.
Roots Music Canada profiled how Ann Vriend's COVID-era neighbourhood jams in Edmonton's McCauley neighbourhood grew into AV and the Inner City, a soul group with a self-titled EP now out and an album set for later this year.
Wolf Parade has announced Western Canadian tour dates celebrating the 20th anniversary of Apologies to the Queen Mary, including a Nov. 11 show at Edmonton's Midway Music Hall. The Canadian band's song I'll Believe in Anything is experiencing a resurgence after being featured in the Crave series Heated Rivalry.
MacEwan University has opened applications for its TD Music Artist in Residence program, a two-week professional development opportunity for emerging Alberta songwriters, producers, and band leaders who face financial barriers to formal music training.
Texas singer-songwriter Charley Crockett cancelled his Canadian tour, including a show at the Jubilee Auditorium, after being turned back twice at the B.C. border over a 2016 marijuana conviction in Virginia.
Visual arts
David Prodan of the Canadian Mental Health Association has published Squeezed Out, an arts-based, community-engaged "research zine" about housing affordability that centres the lived experiences of low-income tenants in Edmonton. The work, based on collaborative workshops with nine co‑researchers, argues that the housing system is designed to prioritize profit over human dignity and identifies four interconnected crises: colonization, unmet needs, tenants' rights, and homelessness.
Amazing treasures are waiting to be brought to light at the University of Alberta. Spaces most have never seen are brimming with significant artworks, artifacts, and discoveries — 10 million pieces just waiting for their chance to shine! You can make it possible by supporting our new gallery.
Citadel Theatre associate artistic director Mieko Ouchi spoke with CBC's Edmonton AM about Burning Mom, her new comedy about turning loss and grief into courage, written and directed as a tribute to her mother. Reviewer Lucy Haines praised Susinn McFarlen's performance as a Calgary widow who drives an RV to Burning Man. Reviewer Justin Bell noted the production's set design as "possibly the best" of the season.
The Teatro Live! production of I Meant What I Said, running until March 8, feels a bit like a peek into playwright Stewart Lemoine's head, says Tom Murray's review.
Fringe Theatre's production of Countries Shaped Like Stars is beautiful and heartwarming, writes Justin Bell. "While the love story is sweet and makes you smile, it's the magic of Countries Shaped Like Stars that makes it one of the best productions in modern theatre."
Broadway Across Canada will bring & Juliet, Hamilton, SIX, Disney's Beauty & the Beast, and Mrs. Doubtfire to the Jubilee Auditorium as part of its 2026-2027 season.
Mile Zero Dance is celebrating 40 years of showcasing local and touring contemporary dance. Artistic director Gerry Morita and operations manager Stacey Cann discussed the milestone with CBC's Edmonton AM.
Virtual reality company vrCAVE is ramping up to launch Heroes Together VR, the company's first direct-to-consumer virtual reality game. "The technology has changed; it's vastly simplified," Ryan Bromsgrove, vrCAVE's head of growth and marketing, told Taproot. "We decided that the market had changed enough and enough people were now into VR at home that this is something that we could do."
Adam Scorgie of Score G Production wrote about his brother Curtis Wright, a permanent resident detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since November 2025. Scorgie has launched a GoFundMe to help cover legal fees.
Agents of SMOOCH, a movie-recommendation podcast hosted by Edmonton's Annette Wierstra, wrapped up its six-year run with a retrospective Valentine's Day episode in which a cast of guests reflected on favourite past picks.
Sapreet Buttar, CEO and founder of Universal Radio Network, spoke to the Stay Spicy podcast about starting her broadcasting career at age 12 and how her all-female production team became the first South Asian media outlet on the red carpet at the Juno Awards.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
Feb. 26: Afro Facts starting at 3pm at 103 Street Centre
Uplifting the legacies and livelihoods of our clients and the communities where we serve and live, is what gets ATB's team members out of bed in the morning. And after 80-plus years worth of mornings, they're still pursuing that mission with a brand of enthusiasm and authenticity you can only experience with ATB.
