Meet Greg Clark:
Community & Optimism

Greg, you are a community champion with a long and very interesting trajectory in business and even provincial politics. What draws you to volunteer your expertise with cSPACE?

GC: What excites me about the impact cSPACE has is that in an increasingly virtual world, cSPACE it the physical embodiment of community. I think there’s a role to play in the virtual world (as we’re sitting here talking on Zoom) but it isn’t the same as being together in person.

I think there’s a big role for this “missing middle” in Calgary’s arts ecosystem. The Studio Theatre at cSPACE Marda Loop, for example, enables a wide range of mid-sized art and community events to happen, and for audiences to engage. It’s a high-quality, accessible space, both cost-wise and physically.

When you show up at cSPACE, it could be a kids’ theater group, a poetry reading, a visual arts display, a music performance, or a world-renowned concert pianist. It’s something different every time, and we need more of that in our city and in our world.

We’re increasingly divided, unfortunately, and places like cSPACE bring people together in a way that helps us get through challenging times. It makes me optimistic and I couldn’t be more proud of what cSPACE Marda Loop has become.

“I want every Calgarian to have access to high-quality art space, theater, and gallery space, relevant to their community.”

Let’s think cSPACE in 2034. The personalized plaque you’re getting as part of the Theatre Stars campaign will be up for 10 years. What is your greatest hope for cSPACE then? 

GC:  My dream is to have a version of cSPACE downtown and in all four quadrants of the city in the next 10 years.  I want every Calgarian to have access to high-quality art space, theater, and gallery space that is relevant to their community.

The old sandstone school in South Calgary fits well with this neighborhood and the function follows the form of that building. There’s an opportunity to do that in different parts of the city. It doesn’t have to be a big old sandstone school; it can be another under-utilized building or through our Meanwhile Lease SPACEPILOT activations, but it’s about making this model accessible to everyone in the city. We’ve done a great job at the Marda Loop location, and I think there are big opportunities to do that elsewhere.

As a board member and avid visitor, it’s been really satisfying to be a small part of that.

A common thread of community ties us to King Edward School, where my dad attended junior high, and today, we see creativity and connection flourish at cSPACE, from young families to retirees. By supporting this campaign as a family, we hope to expand this experience to more people across the city.

GC: Dating back to the building’s original use as a school, my dad was a student at King Edward School. He attended junior high in the 1950s and lived just down the road. The building and the neighbourhood feel like home to my family.

Today, we get a strong sense of community when we attend art happenings or visit the new market. You can see creativity and community growing, from the families at the Montessori School to the kids in the theater camp, to our neighbors at The Edward enjoying their retirement with art. That’s what our family hopes for our city. It’s in alignment with what we want more of and what we believe in.

By supporting and participating in this campaign together, we hope to expand that idea and help give more people access to the same experience.

As a Front-Row Champion donor, one of our public community events will be dedicated in your name. Sky’s the limit, who would be your choice of musician or guest performer for this event?

GC:  That’s easy. It would have to be Joni Mitchell. The Studio Theatre would suit her perfectly. Imagine a 120-person gathering for an intimate concert. The opening song? Both Sides Now