Art Socials

This workshop will be something to write home about! Print your own letterpress postcards using two antique platen presses set up with an image and text. Learn from local printmaker Phoebe Todd-Parrish about traditional typesetting from wood and metal type, how it was used historically and how it can still be used today. Add colour to your image and write on your postcard to share a memory of summer with a friend or loved-one using this analog technology!

Curious about the world of bookmaking and type? In this workshop with local printmaker Phoebe Todd-Parish, you’ll ink and letterpress print your own alphabet from antique wood type on a line-o-scribe press—a midcentury sign press! While your print dries, cut out letters from previously printed alphabets to assemble your banner and share your message with the world to display wherever you please. 

In this workshop, you will learn some of the basics of creating miniature foods using polymer clay. Together with instructor Kiana Simmons, participants will mix clay to achieve realistic colours, shape the pieces, and add details using clay and clay tools. You will take home a tiny wooden box of miniature food and the skills to continue exploring polymer clay miniatures at home! All supplies will be provided, and you may even have some extra clay to take home.

Find out how fun and easy it can be to screen print designs on felt to create your own custom patch and pouch! Erin MacKenna will show you how to print using small frameless screens of illustrations inspired by The Bentway’s Sun/Shade exhibition and share simple techniques for stitching and assembly. You can use what you made to add a little personality to your favourite backpack and finally have a place to keep your headphones (or a secret snack).  

The gateway of visual art mediums, collage is as individual as it is accessible. This whimsical workshop led by local collective Collage Grad encourages free-expression and experimentation using a curated selection of rare and vintage print media. Curiosity and playfulness are the only prerequisites as you learn to cut, paste, and curate different materials. 

Get ready for an all-ages drawing night full of games and activities. Characters are the heart of any story. They’re also one of the most fun things a person can draw! But what goes into making characters that really stand out? Join professional comic book artist Josh Rosen as he shares character design techniques used in comics and animation, and engage in fun drawing exercises based around inventing characters of your own.

Explore linework and pattern making with this fun and accessible approach to creating prints. In this workshop with local artist Sarah Aranha, you’ll create your own designs by carving custom foam blocks and then apply ink to these forms to print your own set of greeting cards, just in time for the approaching fall season.

Get ready for an all-ages drawing night centered around making comics. Comic books are a fantastic art form for sharing stories of all kinds. But if you’ve never made a comic before, then where do you start? Join professional comic book artist Josh Rosen as he leads a series of fun, beginner-friendly comics activities. He’ll be sharing tricks of the trade and teaching participants the quick path towards making comics of their own.