cSPACE Marda Loop: A Few FAQs

Have you been to cSPACE Marda Loop? You’re on the website so we know you’ve heard of it and by now you probably know that cSPACE Marda Loop is the reimagining of a century old sandstone school located in South Calgary. Now an arts hub, innovative venue and coworking space for Calgary to experiment, explore and spark change. But have you wondered what actually goes on here? Or better yet have you experienced it for yourself?

We’ve received a few common questions since opening our doors in 2017, when our tenants began to move in and the halls started to come alive with the activity, events, and collaboration we imagined when we set out on the journey of turning an old derelict school into a hive of arts, culture, and creativity. Questions ranging from: Who can go there? Do you have space available for rent? How do we get there? And what’s the best time to visit? So we’ve devoted this post to shedding some light on those common questions.

GETTING HERE:
cSPACE Marda Loop is located at 1721 29 Ave SW, Calgary, AB and is accessible by bike, bus, car, or on foot. We’re big fans of biking, walking and taking public transit to reduce environmental footprint and get out in the community. The South Calgary community is super walkable and Calgary Transit’s number 6, 7 and 22 bus routes will get you within a few blocks. There is a surface parking lot located off 29th avenue as well as on-street parking, and if you choose to drive, carpooling is encouraged: there are even special parking spots just for carpoolers. If your electric vehicle needs a charge, we have two dedicated charging stalls in our surface lot. And, of course, we’re in a Communauto home area as well.

ONCE YOU’VE ARRIVED, COME ON IN:
You can enter through the Historic Grand Entrance on the south side of the building, through the Contemporary Main Entrance or the old ‘Boys Entrance’ on the north side of the building. We also have Aroma, our onsite coffee shop located on our lower level.

TAKE A LOOK AROUND:
Often the halls are decked with photos, paintings, portraits, landscapes, sculptures and everything in between. We frequently host artist exhibitions, show and sales and events that you are more than welcome and enthusiastically encourage to attend and enjoy. Pop by, take a look, enjoy the art and don’t hesitate to snap some pics to share on social! Remember to tag us @cspacemardaloop and use the hashtag #cSPACEMardaLoop.

WHEN TO VISIT: 
cSPACE Marda Loop is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on Sundays and all major holidays. The best times to come are when there is an awesome event, exhibition or programming underway. Stay tuned to our Events page or sign up for our e-newsletter to keep up to date on what exhibitions and events are on deck or around the corner and never miss a thing.

All four floors of the building are home to our creative community of tenants and many of them have their doors open throughout the day so you can peek in and say hello. You may even be greeted by a furry four-legged friend as several of the artists, designers and tenants have friendly, approved ‘studio dogs’ in tow. For a complete list of our cSPACE Marda Loop tenants, please see our Community Directory here.

JOIN A WORKSHOP, CLASS OR SEMINAR:
Many of our creative community tenants are super passionate about sharing their skills and interests with the community and regularly host workshops, classes, drop-in lectures or art sessions and everything in between. We regularly post about our tenant’s upcoming classes and events on Facebook and Instagram but we encourage you to stay tuned to their social channels as well!

FAQs
Here are a few common questions we get but if you still have a question or inquiry feel free to reach out to us directly at info@cspaceprojects.com and we’d be more than happy to assist!

How can I book an event or exhibition?
You can make a booking inquiry using our Booking Request Form or by emailing events@cspaceprojects.com, Subject: Event Booking.

Can I rent a studio?
We’re currently fully leased but have a waitlist of applications for future tenants. Please complete the Studio Space Waitlist Application to express your interest and provide us with the pertinent details about your practice and studio needs.

Looking for temporary space? You may be interested in our SpacePilot program. Learn more here.

Can I take photos?
Usually, yes! Especially if you’re going to share on social media! From time to time, some specific exhibits may have photography restrictions but things like that would be posted on signage at the time. Just remember when you’re taking pictures of people’s artwork you shouldn’t use your flash, and you should always credit the artist and title of the work if posting on your social feed or anywhere else online. Please tag us on Instagram @cspace.mardaloop; we love seeing your posts!

Can I poke my head in people’s studios?
Many of the tenants have studios/shops where you can pop in and peruse or make an appointment with them to shop privately. A good rule of thumb is, if the door is open, taking a peek and saying hello is probably more than welcome. But if the door is closed, it’s either because no one is home or they’re working to a deadline and need some quiet time!

What are the Studio Theatre & RGO Treehouse and what kind of events can be held there?
The Studio Theatre is a beautiful and highly adaptable space, purpose-built to convert from a double-storey, light-filled hall, perfect for galas, receptions, banquets, markets, art exhibitions and weddings, to a fully darkened, technically sophisticated theatre for dance, music, literary and other cross-disciplinary performances, rehearsals, and screenings.

The RGO Treehouse is our rooftop event space, comprising an intimate event space that can be divided into two beautiful glass walled meeting rooms. Expansive natural light, stunning city views, raised floors, and full AV equipment makes the RGO Treehouse ideal for board retreats, small conferences, team building, launch parties, fundraisers, and AGMs.

How can we sign up for a spot in your cowork space?
The Sandbox at cSPACE Marda Loop is Calgary’s most inspiring coworking space for creativity, innovation and collaboration. Visit the Sandbox page here to view membership details and apply for a dedicated desk!