Step into the bright, modern office of Kraft & Co. Law in northeast Airdrie, and you might expect to be greeted by legal documents, quiet conversations and the hum of a professional workplace.
What you might not expect is a rotating collection of real, original, bold local art, curated with intention and refreshed seasonally. It’s part gallery, part gathering place and part passion project brought to life by a team who never set out to create anything of the sort.
“We just built the office the way we wanted it,” says Shawn Kraft, who co-owns the firm with his wife, Sheryl. “We were on Main Street for just under a year before moving here, and we had the opportunity to design something from the ground up.”
Their current space, located just off Gateway Drive at 113, 44 Gateway Dr. N.E. in Airdrie’s expanding northeast business corridor, offered the perfect foundation: natural light, clean lines and spacious walls, more studio than standard law office.
Enter Deborah Lawton: local artist, educator, founder of Art Branch Studio and longtime client of the firm. When she first stepped into the new Kraft & Co. office, she immediately saw its potential.
“It just made sense,” Lawton explains. “It didn’t feel like a typical office; it had warmth, personality and room for the kind of art that makes people feel something.”
And so an informal collaboration was born. Lawton now curates rotating exhibitions that are refreshed every four months. Each show features work from Airdrie-and-area artists, including landscapes, abstracts, portraits and more, all displayed professionally and available for sale commission-free. Kraft & Co. takes no cut; 100 per cent of the proceeds go directly to the artists.
“We never set out to run a gallery, but the response has been incredible,” says Sheryl. “Clients come in and immediately start talking about the pieces. It shifts the energy in the room. It’s not just about law anymore, it’s about community.”
For local artists, the opportunity has offered something rare: a chance to showcase their work in a professional setting that reaches people outside traditional gallery circles. Many participating artists are emerging or self-taught, and venues that provide this kind of exposure, without cost or commission, are few and far between. It has helped foster confidence, new connections and, in many cases, direct sales.
Lawton, who installs the shows after hours when the office is winding down, carefully selects pieces that speak to a broad and diverse audience. “The people walking through this space aren’t necessarily going to galleries,” she says. “So, this becomes their gallery. And, for the artists, it’s a chance to connect with new viewers they might never reach otherwise.”
Vivid brushstrokes stretch across the walls; moody prairie skies, bold abstracts and delicate portraits all finding a place amid the business of law. Past exhibitions have explored themes such as Earth: Soil & Soul, inviting both artists and visitors to reflect on deeper stories beneath the surface. The art adds warmth and dimension, sparking conversation and a quiet sense of connection.
Each exhibition is celebrated with a casual opening or closing event, drawing together clients, artists and curious locals in a welcoming, low-pressure environment. With more than 300 people passing through the space each week, the visibility for the art is genuine, organic and effective.
The partnership reflects something deeper happening in Airdrie: a growing appetite for culture, connection and creativity in unexpected places. As the city continues to evolve, so, too does the role of spaces like this. They become more than offices. They become points of pride.
Whether you visit this season or sometime down the road, the Kraft & Co. office, tucked between daily legal appointments and end-of-day reflections, offers more than just legal support. With each new exhibit, the space quietly transforms into a place where paperwork and paintbrushes share the same walls. And, in doing so, it reminds us that small acts — offering a wall, saying yes to a local artist, opening the door just a little wider — can leave a lasting mark on the community.
Visitors are welcome to drop in, explore the current show and experience the creative heartbeat of Airdrie in one of its most unexpected settings.
Artist Cindy Zampa, centre, with Shawn and Cheryl Kraft, is thrilled with the gallery. “It’s the first time I’ve contributed my art and I’m truly grateful to you for offering artists this unique platform. I believe art has the power to heal, comfort, inspire and connect — and I admire how you’ve created an environment that nurtures both your clients and the local creative community. It’s a gift to have my work exhibited publicly, where it can bring a sense of calm or spark a memory for someone walking through the door.” Zampa’s work, Denman Island Sentinels (48” x 60”), is displayed behind them.
