Stampede Rotary Dream Home Reunites 11 Past Artists

The Calgary Stampede's Rotary Dream Home is turning milestone into moment. This year marks 30 years of the partnership between Homes by Avi, the Calgary Stampede, and the Rotary Club of Calgary—and 20 years of the Dream Home Artist Project, the annual tradition of commissioning original art for the showcase home.

To celebrate, the team has done something unprecedented: brought back 11 past Dream Home artists to create fresh work for 2026. The roster reads like a hall of fame for emerging Calgary creators. Headliners include previous winners Jamie Kim, Shawni Tolman, McKenna Prather, Christy Niedersteiner, Katie Lois, Tiffany Lynn Cuffley, John F. Gerrard, Brad Holt, Stephanie Hoogveld, Michelle Hoogveld, and David Zimmerman.

For many of these artists, the Dream Home was the big break. Brad Holt, now running Holt Fine Art, says plainly: "The Dream Home gave me the confidence to pursue art as a full-time career. Over a decade later, I'm still meeting collectors who first discovered my work there." That's the programme's secret—it doesn't just decorate a house; it launches careers.

Julie Punter, Homes by Avi's show home interior design manager, explains the philosophy: "Handmade, one-of-a-kind art gives each home something that can't be replicated any other way. There's an engagement that people have with original art that just isn't there with prints."

The 2026 lineup spans mediums—mixed-media, landscapes, whatever the artists are exploring now—which means every room will feel fresh, not curated to death. More than 100,000 people walk through the Dream Home each July. All artwork is for sale; proceeds go directly to the artists. Work is also shown at the Western Oasis Art Gallery in the BMO Centre. Next year, the programme returns to its original format—one artist per home—but for 2026, this is your chance to see where Calgary's art scene keeps coming from.