This month on the EEA Blog we’re talking about our popular summer program, ArMEETS!
Right about now, in a “normal” year, some of you would be getting ready to join us for an exciting lineup of summer ArtMEETS workshops! This would have been our fourth summer of ArtMEETS, and we’ve seen its popularity grow year after year. In case you’ve never attended, ArtMEETS is a series of arts workshops and experiences held at our Clubhouse, which invite adult community members to learn a new art skill, meet new people, and let your creative side shine! We love this program for so many reasons, like giving us the opportunity to hire and work with new, talented arts facilitators, connecting community members to fun, new art forms and skills, chatting with and getting to know so many great people in our east Toronto neighbourhoods, and so much more!
While we put out a Call for ArtMEETS Artists back in April, (remember April? It was about sixteen years ago…), and we received submissions from some amazing artists, what we’ve come to terms with is that returning to “normal” isn’t going to be the same normal for 2020. For now, given the continued restrictions on gathering, we feel that it’s safer not to host ArtMEETS at St. Matthew’s Clubhouse this summer. Of course we are saddened by this and we are going to miss making and creating with our communities, so we thought we’d share a list of some great virtual and -in-person arts workshops that you can enjoy this July & August instead!
Connect with us Online!
One of the things we will miss the most about not hosting ArtMEETS this year is sharing stories and conversations with all of you while we learn how to print, paint, write and so on; ArtMEETS is about so much more than making art, it’s about making connections, and building community! And so this summer, while you try out some of the activities we’ve listed below, (or others that you enjoy that aren’t listed), why don’t we take the conversations online? Share a photo of your creative projects, workshops and experiences with the hashtag #ArtMeetsAtHome, and follow the hashtag all summer long to like, comment and share your art ideas & moments with other ArtMEETS fans! In September, we will choose some lucky winners who have used the #ArtMeetsAtHome hashtag to enjoy some free sessions of future ArtMEETS workshops!
We know that east Toronto is full of creativity, and we can’t wait to see what all of you create. One day, we also know that we will be able to gather again! Stay tuned for a possible ArtMEETS fall edition, or winter edition.
ArtMEETS At Home Workshop Ideas:
(EEA isn’t affiliated with any of these, but we think they look great!!)
Painting!
- Virtual Painting with Michelle – Starry Night — July 2 (Online)
- Intuitive Approaches to Watercolor with Fábio Cembranelli by Art Club International — July 8 and July 9 (Online)
- Virtual Paint Night – Flowers in the Rain by Fresh Paint Studio – July 11 (Online)
- Virtual paint parties by Paint Cabin — Ongoing through July 2020 (Online)
Drawing!
- Drawing for the Terrified Beginner by ArtBarn School – Jul 7 – Aug 25 (Online)
- Drawing for the Not So Terrified Beginner by ArtBarn School – Jul 10 – Aug 28 (Online)
- Draw & Paint Explorations by Avenue Road Arts School – July 20-24 and August 10-14th, 2020 (Online)
Literary & Text!
- Online Intro to Calligraphy Workshop by Embiria — July 7 (Online)
- Virtual Writing Workshop by Operation Groundswell — July 14 (Online)
- Tuning Into Our Voices by Firefly Creative Writing – July 8-29 (Online)
- It’s Time to Talk about Self Love and Kindness: A Writing Workshop – July 23 (Online)
Printmaking & Photography!
- Shaking Up Images for Mental Health – Learn the basics of cyanotype by EAG Innovation— July 11 (Online)
- Travel Photography Classes by GTA Photography classes – July 19 & Aug 15 (Online)
- Digital Photography by Avenue Road Arts School – August 10 – 14, 2020 (Online)
- Telling Your Story Through Documentary Photography by Newark Museum of Art – July 6, 9, 13, & 16 (Online)
Clay-making & Ceramics!
- Clay at Home take-home package by Clay Space — Ongoing (At home)
- Ceramics Class for Adult Students by Pierce Center for Arts & Technology – July 6 & 23, 2020 (Online)
- Polymer Clay Earring Workshop by Refuge Lowell – July 18, 2020 (Online)
Wood-working!
- Design your own Vintage Wooden Sign by Paint Cabin – Ongoing through July (Online)
- Wood Burning 101 by Kula Cloth – July 27, Aug 3 & Aug 10 (Online)
Other!
- Art & Wellbeing by Avenue Road Arts School – July 20-24th, 2020 (Online)
- VIBE Bloom Art Making Sessions by RBC & Vibe Arts – July 8-28, 2020 (Online)
- Virtual Fairy Garden Class by In The Art Room – July 31, 2020 (Online)
P.S. Here are some photos from our past 2019 ArtMEETS workshops that make us smile!
