Live at the Art Bunker
Stouffville’s Art Bunker has been a hub of activity this spring and summer,
rotating children’s art classes, after-school art for teens, life drawing club, summer art camp, and special workshops with visiting artists for school groups.
Children enjoy the opportunity to learn from artists in a variety of fields, and to be inspired by ideas flowing from a lively, innovative contemporary art world. Artists involved in the program include Jenny Wing-Yee Tong, Shira Spector, Tina Newlove, Vanessa Perry, Shelley Painter and Vicky Talwar, all of whom were chosen for their artistic practice and ability to bring art to life.
Jenny Wing-Yee Tong won an honourable mention for drawing at the recent Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, adding to her growing list of awards and grants. Shira Spector, an illustrator, fabric artist and performance artist, has developed programs for leading-edge art education projects including Learning Through the Arts at Harbourfront Centre, McGill University’s Explorations Program, Spiral Garden at Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre, and Sketch, an arts centre for homeless youth living on the street. Tina Newlove, a successful young artist with a solo exhibition at the Latcham Gallery in Nov. 2008, has worked with teens at the art bunker this spring and will give several workshops including Mark Making to Music this coming fall.
The Art Bunker, located at the corner of Main and Market streets, is the main site for classes run by the Latcham Gallery’s public education program. It was recently given a spring cleaning and overhaul with the help of town staff and gallery summer students, readying it for a busy summer and fall of art making. Current projects include drawing and painting, printmaking, sculpture, fabric painting and dyeing, beading, mosaics, found-object art, mask and puppet making, large-scale group paintings and life drawing.
Some programs take place in The Latcham Gallery, including free family art days, talks by artists, and workshops for visiting schoolchildren. The free family days, sponsored by the RBC foundation, are drop-in workshops for all ages, and usually include a workshop by an artist or artist-educator related to the theme of the latest exhibition.
These monthly programs allow families to work in the gallery itself, and learn about the theme and techniques of the exhibition while having hands-on fun. Sometimes the workshop is led by the exhibiting artist, giving participants an opportunity to ask questions and discuss art in an informal and child-friendly atmosphere.
In October and November, artist Tina Newlove will present a range of accessible public programs including an artist talk and workshops for adults, teens and families.
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