Come as a Stranger.
Leave as Family.

There is something that happens at Flourish that is genuinely hard to explain until you've experienced it. You arrive not knowing many people. You sit down next to someone at a workshop table.

You share ink, share frustrations, share breakthroughs. By the end of four days, you have friends who understand your particular kind of obsession in a way that almost no one else in your life does.

In an AI-everything world, hundreds of people are travelling to Southern Alberta to spend five days making letters by hand.

Very analogue. Very human. And, happily, very good for the visitor economy.

Our attendees are coming from across Canada, the United States and beyond. They’ll be staying, eating, shopping, buying art supplies, visiting galleries and exploring beyond Calgary while they’re here.

The festival spans calligraphy, lettering, book arts, painting, journaling, mixed media and design, from complete beginners through professional artists.

One of the most extraordinary pieces of the weekend is a special presentation of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition. Only 299 sets exist worldwide. The original Saint John’s Bible was the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in more than 500 years.