The National Music Centre, located in Calgary’s East Village, recently received a $5 million federal investment in support of Studio Bell, home of the NMC, through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.

The investment supported the final stages of construction for Studio Bell, including exhibition spaces; three recording studios; electrical, audiovisual and mechanical systems; Solar Drones, a public art piece; and an integrated ticketing system.

In its first year of operation, Studio Bell received international acclaim for its architecture, won awards for its exhibition design, hosted major events, and supported over a dozen artists-in-residence. It continues to celebrate Canadian music pioneers and icons through the on-site Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection and Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“The support provided through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund was critical to our growth and the success of our opening year,” said Andrew Mosker, president and CEO of the National Music Centre, in a press release. “We thank Canadian Heritage for its support for our vision and commitment to amplifying love, sharing and understanding of music from coast to coast to coast.”

Ground-breaking for the new Calgary building took place in February 2013. Studio Bell is a new state-of-the-art facility designed by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture. It is the first national cultural institution of its kind dedicated to celebrating music in Canada in all its forms.