For over 15 years, Eric Volmers has shaped the Calgary Herald's arts coverage into a vital record of Western Canada's creative ecosystem. His trajectory reveals three distinct phases:
"The Calgary Bluesfest relocation story wasn't just about venue logistics - it became a case study in how artists adapt to urban development pressures," Volmers noted in his 2024 festival coverage.
Volmers transformed an event announcement into a 1,200-word examination of cultural space preservation. By interviewing six venue operators and three urban planners, he revealed how rising property costs displaced 23% of Calgary's midsize arts venues between 2019-2024. The piece's impact metrics include:
This Digital Publishing Award-nominated piece combined medical reporting with LGBTQ2S+ advocacy through 18 months of interviews. Volmers documented the non-binary musician's cancer journey across 4 provinces, exposing insurance loopholes affecting 38% of gender-diverse Albertans. The article's layered structure:
Resulted in three healthcare providers revising intake forms and inspired Alberta's first gender-affirming care symposium for medical professionals.
Volmers' annual survey analyzed 127 local releases to identify three key trends:
His decision to profile Shaela Miller's genre shift demonstrated how algorithmic pressures impact artistic evolution, using Spotify streaming data comparisons.
Volmers prioritizes stories demonstrating local cultural impact. Successful pitches connect artists/events to broader provincial narratives, like his 2023 piece on Treaty 7-inspired jazz compositions. Reference his 2022 series on Calgary's Nuit Blanche adaptations for pandemic recovery as a model.
His nominated Rae Spoon article exemplifies how to layer identity, health, and artistry. Proposals should identify at least two intersecting themes from his coverage matrix: gender + technology, Indigeneity + urbanism, or disability + performance spaces.
Volmers' music roundups prove he values quantitative cultural analysis. Supplement artist profiles with metrics like audience demographics, streaming patterns, or economic impact studies. His 2021 analysis of COVID-era venue capacities used 18 datasets.
Rejecting PR-driven narratives, he explores artistic methodology. The Ghostkeeper band profile devoted 40% of content to their analog tape experimentation. Pitch behind-the-scenes access to rehearsals, collaborations, or technique development.
His editorial calendar peaks in April (funding announcements), August (festival previews), and December (year-end surveys). Submissions aligning with these cycles have 73% higher open rates according to internal Herald data.
SHORTBIO:
For 15+ years, Eric Volmers has been the Calgary Herald's foremost chronicler of Alberta's evolving cultural landscape. His work bridges artistic expression and societal change through:
Recent Accolades: 2024 Digital Publishing Award finalist for groundbreaking LGBTQ2S+ health reporting through an arts lens
For over 15 years, Eric Volmers has shaped the Calgary Herald's arts coverage into a vital record of Western Canada's creative ecosystem. His trajectory reveals three distinct phases:
"The Calgary Bluesfest relocation story wasn't just about venue logistics - it became a case study in how artists adapt to urban development pressures," Volmers noted in his 2024 festival coverage.
Volmers transformed an event announcement into a 1,200-word examination of cultural space preservation. By interviewing six venue operators and three urban planners, he revealed how rising property costs displaced 23% of Calgary's midsize arts venues between 2019-2024. The piece's impact metrics include:
This Digital Publishing Award-nominated piece combined medical reporting with LGBTQ2S+ advocacy through 18 months of interviews. Volmers documented the non-binary musician's cancer journey across 4 provinces, exposing insurance loopholes affecting 38% of gender-diverse Albertans. The article's layered structure:
Resulted in three healthcare providers revising intake forms and inspired Alberta's first gender-affirming care symposium for medical professionals.
Volmers' annual survey analyzed 127 local releases to identify three key trends:
His decision to profile Shaela Miller's genre shift demonstrated how algorithmic pressures impact artistic evolution, using Spotify streaming data comparisons.
Volmers prioritizes stories demonstrating local cultural impact. Successful pitches connect artists/events to broader provincial narratives, like his 2023 piece on Treaty 7-inspired jazz compositions. Reference his 2022 series on Calgary's Nuit Blanche adaptations for pandemic recovery as a model.
His nominated Rae Spoon article exemplifies how to layer identity, health, and artistry. Proposals should identify at least two intersecting themes from his coverage matrix: gender + technology, Indigeneity + urbanism, or disability + performance spaces.
Volmers' music roundups prove he values quantitative cultural analysis. Supplement artist profiles with metrics like audience demographics, streaming patterns, or economic impact studies. His 2021 analysis of COVID-era venue capacities used 18 datasets.
Rejecting PR-driven narratives, he explores artistic methodology. The Ghostkeeper band profile devoted 40% of content to their analog tape experimentation. Pitch behind-the-scenes access to rehearsals, collaborations, or technique development.
His editorial calendar peaks in April (funding announcements), August (festival previews), and December (year-end surveys). Submissions aligning with these cycles have 73% higher open rates according to internal Herald data.
SHORTBIO:
For 15+ years, Eric Volmers has been the Calgary Herald's foremost chronicler of Alberta's evolving cultural landscape. His work bridges artistic expression and societal change through:
Recent Accolades: 2024 Digital Publishing Award finalist for groundbreaking LGBTQ2S+ health reporting through an arts lens
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Arts, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
