S4:E2 From Calgary with Love... Alex Sarian & Nicholas Bell in conversation with Criena Gehrke

The Three Bells

In her swan song as a host for The Three Bells, Criena Gehrke (Executive Director, Queensland Theatre) speaks with two leading figures in Calgary’s arts and culture scene, Alex Sarian (President & CEO, Arts Commons) and Nicholas R. Bell (President & CEO, Glenbow Museum). The dynamic conversation covers plenty of ground: from the magic and warmth of Calgary’s cultural scene to the personal and institutional responsibilities carried on the road to reconciliation with indigenous communities. The Three Bells podcast is produced by AEA Consulting for the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN). Sound mixing and theme music by Artwave Studio.

References

Glenbow: https://www.glenbow.org/

Arts Commons: https://www.artscommons.ca/

Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre: https://www.studiobell.ca/

Central Library: https://calgarylibrary.ca/

Contemporary Calgary: https://www.contemporarycalgary.com/

Arts Commons Transformation Project: https://www.contemporarycalgary.com/

Wanda Dalla Costa: https://www.avenuecalgary.com/city-life/how-indigenous-architecture-is-shaping-the-future-of-arts-commons/

LinkedIns

Alex Sarian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsarian/

Nicholas Bell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-r-bell-6157b673/

Wanda Dalla Costa, AIA, FRAIC, LEED AP:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tawarc/

Criena Gehrke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/criena-gehrke-783303106/

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Alex Sarian Bio

From Madrid to Shanghai to New York City, Alex has worked with artists and arts organizations in fifteen countries spanning five continents. A Toronto native and fully bilingual, Alex was raised in Buenos Aires and moved to New York City in 2002, where he held senior executive roles at several arts institutions, including seven years at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

In January 2020, at the age of 36, Alex was appointed President & CEO of Arts Commons, becoming the youngest executive to oversee a major performing arts center in North America. In this role, he is responsible for the third largest arts center in Canada, home to six resident arts organizations, and over 200 community groups and commercial presenters. Occupying over 560,000 square feet in the downtown core of Canada’s third most diverse city, the Arts Commons complex normally welcomes more than 600,000 visitors to its 2,000 events every year, and features rehearsal studios, production workshops, education spaces, art/media/sound galleries, restaurants, public community areas, and six performance venues—including the Jack Singer Concert Hall, noted by The New York Times as one of the best acoustic venues in North America.

Since beginning his tenure, Alex has led Arts Commons’ successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the development of free outdoor and digital programming, the creation of an Indigenous reconciliation strategy, an unprecedented investment in digital and accessibility infrastructure, and launched the single largest cultural infrastructure project in Canadian history—scheduled to break ground in 2024.

Passionate about civic engagement, Alex volunteers on a number of international boards in the areas of education, philanthropy, economic development, advocacy and policy, and innovation.

Alex received undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University, is a graduate of the Community Shift program at Western University’s Ivey School of Business, and was an inaugural graduate of the Impact Program for Arts Leaders at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Nicholas Bell Bio

Originally from Vancouver, Nicholas joined Glenbow in 2019 from his position as Senior Vice President for Curatorial Affairs at Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. Nicholas launched a formidable exhibitions program during his three years at the preeminent American maritime museum. He previously served as The Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, where he led the Renwick’s relaunch, increasing attendance from 150,000 annually to one million. In 2023, Nicholas was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of his service to community. Nicholas is an author and editor of over ten books on art, museums, and contemporary culture and offers a proven background in spearheading change and successfully implementing strategic initiatives.