Join us this winter for one of our art classes! Choose from a range of art classes for adults, kids and teens. You'll be sure to find a class to help you explore your creativity.
For kids and teens, our popular weekly art classes begin a new session. These classes provide the perfect environment to inspire young artists of any skill level.
We invite you now to explore all of our:
Register online today or call 905-453-9142 for more information.
"So, where are you?" I asked Colleen Dee, Dee for short to me.
"VAB's Open Studio. Working on my next lesson for the seniors and talking with you" was the reply.
Both Dee and I are Visual Arts Brampton members and attend in person or Zoom Open Studios weekly and other workshops, such as soft pastels, batik etc. Dee is a sculptor and, as she says, "I'm comfortable calling myself a practicing artist." Along with other very talented people, she is an instructor as well as sitting on the board of directors of VAB.
"Ohh, and what might ye all be making next? I love the ideas you come up with for people, Dee! Doesn't matter if it's Boys and Girls Club, people from Community for Living, kids, teens, families ... ya got something for everyone woman."
"We're doing snowflakes; just like the ones we did as kids at school. Folding the paper, cutting and notching, then unfolding to see what we've created. I tell them it's good for hand-eye coordination, dexterity, maintains their cognitive development, which really perks them up, and is something they can go home and do with their grandchildren."
It didn't take much to start reminiscing about other homemade decorations and seasonal habits we had when growing up. There were crepe paper chains made by folding the red and green strips back and forth at right angles, which became so intricate looking when opened up showing their alternating colorful facets. And yes, the snowflakes were a favourite then, too.
That's when I learned there were going to be some holiday crafting events that were being hosted at the large shopping centre, Shoppers World, at Steeles and Main Street in Brampton. VAB is directly across the road on the other corner and enjoys an ever-evolving relationship with the mall management which focuses on community activities and engagement.
One of the three workshops people had just finished was making Christmas ornaments, with the next two still open for registration. This Saturday there will be card making, December 10, at the Shoppers World, pre-registration is encouraged to ensure you get a spot, with a nominal cost of $10.00 for supplies.
Such creativity and engagement is involved in these simple activities that Colleen Dee and other VAB instructors continually come up with, whether for children, adults, families, teens or young people. While one can step back and marvel at this, my best suggestion is to throw yourself into the fray, and get caught up in the excitement and joy of your own creative expression!
Just imagine! No batteries needed, no computers, laptops, or digital devices necessary. You get to unplug. Simply show up and let yourself relax as somebody guides you, a friend or family member, on your personal journeys of creative expression. Engage the spirit within you to craft a personal design and compose a personal message with card making.
Live large and sign up for a family workshop or ask about a group experience. You can give the gift of creativity, just waiting to be discovered, to somebody on your holiday wish list. Check out the classes for adults, kids & teens and studio sessions available at this amazing organization, where they are all about Encouraging Creativity.
Article by: E. Connie Munson
Miss Mahaney had just finished distributing the new boxes of Crayola Crayons to her grade two students. I was mesmerized by the saturation of the colours and the fresh, unused sharply pointed tips which hinted of glorious masterpieces yet to be made. The rest of that year I pulled out that box from my desk, ran my fingers over the tips marvelling over the rich colours, then carefully put them away. I loved that sense of how perfect they were, how something great could be just around the corner, and that they were just waiting for me to use them.
With more research these past decades making its way into our daily lives, most of us know that fear of failure, or that the drive to be perfect, can contribute to self-sabotage. "Oh, I'm not creative, I can't draw, I’d never be able to do that!"
We also know that exploring, practice, and learning new techniques can offer immense benefits to young and old alike. Being absorbed and caught up in an expressive activity such as visual arts, music, design or photography can lead to a cognitive state called "flow". With the challenge of creating also comes the exercise of problem solving.
Well, Visual Arts Brampton is ready to help all types and ages of learners take the plunge into or continue exploring their creative expressive selves.
The transferable skills and benefits from including creative activities and expression in our lives is immense for people of all ages. From the deep satisfaction and thrill of creating something yourself to the honing of skills with its subsequent boost to self-esteem, learning to focus and be in the present moment are healthy mental and emotional states.
Taking classes with friends or family also can ensure time together. Later, as interest and skills with certain activities increase, such as sketching or painting, people might find that these have become hobbies or important areas of talent to develop.
This more active engagement as compared to passive activities, such as many hours spent playing computer games or watching videos or television, leaves people more relaxed, emotionally available to each other, and energized.
For those of us headed back to a fall routine, there are lots of new things to discover and potential areas of interest to explore. Whether it is relaxation, the thrill of honing skills, or that creative drive to express oneself, live large, step out into your creative potential, and open up and use that box of Crayola Crayons!
Article by: E. Connie Munson
And it’s SHOW TIME for ... a number of Visual Arts Brampton members at FORMS, FACES & SPACES, figuratively speaking! opening Thursday, May 5 at the Parish Hall, 16 Adamson Street South, Norval, right next to the St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
Colleen Dee, Helen Duplassie, and Sherry Park all have work in the Fine Arts category, although Dee has work in the Photography arena as well. This exhibit is one of 85 Open Themed Shows across the GTA and beyond for the 26th annual Scotiabank CONTACT Festival, the world’s largest photography event.
Hanging through May 29 and open noon to 4:30 pm Thursdays – Sundays and holiday Mondays, the Munson & Friends STUDIO GALLERY is mounting this show as its premiere exhibition. E. Connie Munson, a VAB member, photographer, writer, artist, and budding gallerist applied for satellite site status with CONTACT back in January.
VAB’s motto, Encouraging Creativity, is clearly evident in this event with several of their members in the show, the loaning of display grids and tables, and respectively, the technical counsel with hands-on work and consulting from two of their board members, Matt and Colleen.
Story by: E. Connie Munson
Visual Arts Brampton