Esker Foundation is a non-profit contemporary art gallery in Calgary's Inglewood neighbourhood. Established in May 2012 by collectors and philanthropists Jim and Susan Hill, it was conceived as an accessible, welcoming space for contemporary art. Admission, programs, and parking are free—a core expression of its equity and inclusion values. The gallery reflects on local, regional and international culture through exhibitions, public programs, publishing, and commissions.

Located on the fourth floor of the Atlantic Avenue Arts Block, Esker offers a main exhibition space and a street-level Project Space that operates as an alternative venue to engage the community. The Project Space features responsive shows by emerging and established artists, visible day or night, changing about three times annually.

Exhibitions span experimental, immersive, and thoughtful work, with recent shows such as “When Sound Becomes Unsound” by Babak Golkar, Caroline Monnet’s Indigenous-centred “Pizandawatc / The One Who Listens,” and Oliver Beer’s sensorial “Compositions for Mouths, Face and Hands.” Programming includes public talks, workshops, youth engagements, and a bookshop.

As Calgary’s largest privately funded, non-commercial contemporary gallery, Esker Foundation innovates a sustainable gallery model—balancing commercial tenancy and cultural programming so rental revenues support its artistic mission, while preserving curatorial independence.