Our City: The Artesian
The Artesian, 2020, Image by Kaitlyn Schropp.
The Artesian is a prominent location in the Regina music, performance, and art scene.
The venue has a unique history, originally built in 1950 as the Calvary Evangelical Church. Designed by Storey and Van Egmond, the building has stood in one of the liveliest Regina neighbourhoods for over 70 years and garnered increasing attention since being turned into a live music and performance venue.
The original purpose gives the building a distinctive feel, both inside and out. The Artesian maintains the charm of the old church, small and intimate, and as such provides a unique experience most venues don’t. The architecture of the building is rather simple, even a little dated with its distinctive steeple, but the simplicity makes it an eye-catching staple of the Cathedral neighbourhood. It may not look as vibrant as many buildings in Cathedral, but the effort to preserve the historic integrity gives it a very authentic feel. The old church has been repurposed without sacrificing the original intent, maintaining the rich heritage of Cathedral.
Inside, the Artesian continues to embrace the building’s history. The stage has undergone renovations to improve quality for performers but the room maintains the characteristic appearance of a simple church. The original stage served as an altar while the building functioned as a church, and despite flexible seating on the main floor, the hall has kept the church pews and the choir loft for additional seating in the back.
The Artesian isn’t large, the main hall seating 175 people, but it’s a fantastic middle-ground between the grander stages and personal basement or garage shows in Regina, providing both the professional organized show experience of large venues and the intimacy of small shows. It is one of the businesses breathing life into Regina’s creative community, providing entertainment for the public and opportunities for local performers to grow, all while preserving the history of the heritage-rich neighbourhood it’s situated in.
Corner Stone, 2020, image by Kaitlyn Schropp.