Uniting those who believe in the arts and arts education, Abbondànza returned in vibrant style, bringing southern Alberta's strongest art supporters together to celebrate artistic excellence and community generosity in the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Abbondànza is the Faculty's signature fundraising dinner and arts gala. Italian for abundance, Abbondànza has been running for more than 20 years, stemming from a partnership between the Faculty and local restaurateurs Tony Rose and Rocco Suriano of Coco Pazzo (now Let’s Pasta).
The goal of Abbondànza is to raise funds for the Abbondànza Endowment, which supports numerous student scholarships and supports awards for experiential learning in the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Abbondànza 2026: An Evening of Abundance
Photos by Kort Woycheshin (BFA - Multidisciplinary Co-op '24).
Under pink lights, Abbondànza 2026 brought an extravagant, theatrical celebration of the arts and highlighted the Faculty as a vibrant and energetic place to learn and create.
From impromptu performances, tours of notable Fine Arts spaces, singing, auctions and more, the evening was an exciting showcase of artistic talent, community generosity and meaningful connection among art supporters.
At the heart of Abbondànza is a commitment to supporting Fine Arts students through scholarships, awards and experiential learning opportunities. Attendees made scholarship pledges, participated in a live and silent auction and called on one another to help grow the Abbondànza Endowment.
Photos by Kort Woycheshin (BFA - Multidisciplinary Co-op '24).
Your Impact at Abbondànza
This year, Abbondànza raised more than $100,000 for the Abbondànza Endowment, with support from scholarship pledges, auction items, ticket sales and sponsorships.
The event proceeds, matched by the University Board of Governors through the Scholarship Match Campaign, go to the Abbondànza Experiential Learning Award. The award was created in 2025 to give Fine Arts students Work-Integrated Learning opportunities. This year's investment works out to $6,000 in new awards for students.
With $2 million in overall Endowment funds, the Faculty of Fine Arts distributes more than 50 awards each year, totalling more than $70,000 to students to help them with tuition, the cost of learning materials, residencies, internships, applied studies, conferences and more.
Thank you to all attendees, sponsors and gift-in-kind supporters for supporting the Faculty of Fine Arts in its mission to inspire creative, intellectual culture among faculty, students and communities!
While we look ahead to next year’s event, the opportunity to support Fine Arts students continues. Your gift to the Abbondànza Endowment helps emerging artists pursue their dreams and grow their talents.