The Nina’s Community Art Night

The Cause

Art influences society by opening minds, challenging opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Art in this sense is communication; it allows people from different cultures and backgrounds to communicate and accept each other through their images, sounds and stories.

We are looking for funding to host "community art night" which offers free weekly art classes for those who have barriers to the arts; barriers include financial obstacles, English as a second language and physical disabilities. For many people, finding an artistic outlet is life changing. It provides an outlet to express themselves, meet others and perhaps look forward to a future in arts and culture or simply a creative respite from the challenges of daily life.

The Community Arts Night program would offer free art classes once a week for 8 months at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts lead by professional art teachers.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore clay, painting, drawing, textiles and much
more. They will create art pieces they can exhibit, sell or keep. They will have a safe and
nurturing environment to learn and explore in. At the end of the 8 months their artwork would be displayed in an exclusive live art exhibit just for them in our Stollery Gallery.

The program will go take attendees through several skill sets. Examples include sessions on colour theory and abstract composition, needle felting with wool, paper marbling, ceramics, printmaking, and other projects using traditional fine arts mediums. Some projects are technique based while others are project based. Some projects may be completed using a step-by-step process, others will be more flexible and open ended.

Each person has an opportunity to create something personal and meaningful while also making new friends and building bonds within our community.

Who Will it Benefit?

This weekly program would benefit two key groups:
People with financial barriers to practicing art
People who are new to Canada, possibly learning English as a second language