NEW WAY TO REGISTER FOR PROGRAMS

Due to technical problems with the online registration form on Veith Street Gallery Studio Associations' web site there is a new way to register online for both the Time Frames Program and the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM. Just go to the link below and you will find two different registration forms, one is for the Time Frames Program and the other is for the Creative Start Open Studio Program.


http://visual-connections.blogspot.com/p/registration-forms.html

Programs for Youth and Seniors

The Visual Connections Project will be offering both the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM and the TIME FRAMES PROGRAM starting in January. You will find more information about both programs below.



CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM


The CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM has been developed for youth, 17 to 21 years of age with disabilities and related challenges so they can explore different types of visual arts.
Through the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM, participants will decide what kinds of art materials and processes they want to explore such as drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed - media, graphic story - telling, zines, and more. Participants will be provided with one - on - one support from a Community Arts Educator. There is no cost for this program, and all art supplies are provided. At the end of the program, we will celebrate the artworks created by the youth participants, through an exhibition open to the public. Program participants may also be eligible to become a member of the Creative Spirit East Artist Collective and exhibit their art works through Veith Street Gallery Studio Association’s exhibition venues, Veith Street Gallery and the Pedway Picture Gallery. There is a limit of ten participants for this program.


DATES: Friday January 27th – March 30th, 2012
TIMES: 1:00 – 3:00PM 
LOCATION: Bloomfield Centre, Room 117, 2786 Agricola Street, Halifax


For more information about the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM, contact Gerard McNeil by phone at 456 – 0861 or by e-mail at visualconnectionsproj@gmail.com


To register for the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM
 on line go to http://visual-connections.blogspot.com/p/registration-forms.html





TIME FRAMES PROGRAM


The TIME FRAMES PROGRAM is a brand new 10-week long program that provides a vehicle for adults 55 and older with disabilities and seniors to express themselves through a community based arts program while at the same time addressing various issues facing the communities that they are a part of. In effect, this program is a community development program for under - served communities that tap into the lived experiences of community elders. There will also be an inter-generational component in the program. Elders and youth will collaborate on community based art projects that address identified needs or issues within a community.
Program participants may also be eligible to become a member of the Creative Spirit East Artist Collective and exhibit their art works at Veith Street Gallery Studio Association’s exhibition venues, Veith Street Gallery and the Pedway Picture Gallery.


DATES: Thursday January 26th - March 29th, 2012 
TIMES: 1:00pm - 3:00pm 
LOCATION: Alderney Gate Library, Maxine Tynes Room, 60 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth


For more information about the TIME FRAMES PROGRAM, contact Gerard McNeil by phone at 456 – 0861 or by e-mail at visualconnectionsproj@gmail.com


To register for the TIME FRAMES PROGRAM online go to http://visual-connections.blogspot.com/p/registration-forms.html

CSOSP Exhibition

Here are a few images from the final exhibition of artworks created by the participants in the Creative Start Open Studio Program.

Time Frames Program Exhibition

Here are a few images from the final exhibition of artworks created by the participants in the Time Frames Program (Halifax).

NEW WORKS FROM TIME FRAMES

Here are some new art works from the Time Frames Program.

MORE CSOSP ART

Here are some more images from the Creative Start Open Studio Program.

Re - connection

Below is a small sample of the images that were created by participants of ReachABILITY'S 4 Youth program. This is the second time I have facilitated a program with ReachABILITY'S 4 Youth program.

NEW CONNECTIONS

The Visual Connections Project recently established a new connection with Chebucto Connections Pathways Spryfield Program. Here are some images from Pathways Spryfield After School Program. The participants in this program took part in the Creative Process Exercise called the Visual Exquisite Corpse or Drawing Extensions.

CSOSP ART WORK

Bellow is a small sample of art works created by some of the participants in the Creative Start Open Studio Program.

NEW WORKS

Here is a small sample of artworks by participants in the TIME FRAMES PROGRAM.

And it Begins

Both the Creative Start Open Studio Program and the new program, Time Frames started this week. As the programs progress, I will profile some the art works created by the participants.

The Creative Start Open Studio Program has for the first time been connected with a High School Learning Resource Centre. There are seven students coming from J.L.Ilsley High School. Along with the students from J.L.Ilsley High School there are three other youth participants in the program.

There are seven participants in the Time Frames Program which has just been profiled in The Coast Magazines' FALL ARTS PREVIEW as found below.


VISUAL ARTS

Time Frames
September 29 to November 24 (Thursdays from 1-3:30pm), Bloomfield Centre, 2786 Agricola Street, 456-0861
Not all histories worth studying are found in books and Gerard McNeil recognizes that. As the education and outreach curator at Veith Street Gallery Studio Association, McNeil's very familiar with programs that pair art and community development...but he noticed a void when it came it came to seniors in our community. So about a year ago he got to planning Time Frames, a 10-week program that would cater to adults over 55, allowing them to reflect upon their histories using art.

"I guess it came down to recognizing that there's a lot of knowledge and wisdom to be gained from working with elders in the community," says McNeil, who received a grant from the Department of Seniors' Positive Aging Fund to make Time Frames a reality. The program, which kicks off September 29, is split into past, present and future. The first portion focuses on personal and community histories. Participants will share stories about themselves, and where they're from, through paint, collages and photos. The present section will deal with issues of place, putting emphasis on specific communities. The future will bring in youth to partner with the seniors for an intergenerational skill-share, where they'll create "future maps," stepping outside the traditional idea of a map to create public installation pieces.

"There is a curriculum, but I'm really letting the seniors do their thing," says McNeil. And really, it's all about sharing. McNeil points out that the last week of each section is dedicated to a review of work and that skill sharing will play an important role, making sure that participants can help each other with specific techniques. You'll have a chance to learn from these histories, too; finished products will be exhibited at the Bloomfield Centre after Time Frames wraps. The program will also be remounted in January, for another 10-week string of reflection through art in Dartmouth. —AS

Some more great news

We just found out that we have received a Cultural Opportunities for Youth grant from the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage to offer the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM. This program will be offered in north end Halifax in 2012.

Programs to Watch For

This fall the Visual Connections Project will be offering two programs, the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM and the TIME FRAMES PROGRAM. 


The CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM is a ten - week - long visual arts open studio program developed specifically for youth with disabilities, between the ages of 17 and 21.Through the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM participants will decide what kinds of art materials and processes they want to explore such as drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed - media, graphic story - telling, zines, and more.


DATES: Friday September 23rd - December 2nd, 2011
TIMES: 1:30 - 3:30PM
LOCATION: William Spry Recreation Centre, 10 Kidston Road, Spryfield

To register for this program click on the link below

http://www.veithstreetgallery.org/CEPREGFORMS2.HTML

The TIME FRAMES PROGRAM is a brand new 10 
week long program that provides a vehicle for adults 
55 and older with disabilities and seniors to express 
themselves through community based arts programs 
that will also addresses various issues facing the 
communities they live within. In effect this program is 
a community development program for under served 
communities that taps into the lived experiences of 
community elders. There will also be an inter 
generational component in the program in which 
elders and youth collaborate on a community based 
art project to address identified needs or issues 
within a community. The program is structured 
around three components that explore the past, 
present and future.

DATES: Thursday September 15th - November 17th, 2011
TIMES: 1:00pm - 3:30pm
LOCATION: Seniors Lounge, Bloomfield Centre, 2786 Agricola Street, Halifax

To register for this program click on the link below

http://www.veithstreetgallery.org/CEPREGFORMS.HTML

Amazing News

We just found out that we have received a grant from the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors Positive Aging Fund, to offer the Time Frames program for adults 55+ with disabilities and seniors. We will announce the location s for the programs in the very near future.

Drip and Draw at MOSH

We were back at MOSH (Mobile Outreach Street Health) to offer participants of the MOSH drop in program an opportunity to make some art. We had two centres set up, one for drip or action painting and the other a drawing centre. Approximately seven people contributed to the drip painting and two or three people created drawings. 

New Connection with Options

The images below come from a team building workshop held at Options Work Activity.The almost thirty participants who created the large scale drawing / collage collaborated in three teams working on one of three sections. After fifteen minutes I had the three teams move to a different section of the drawing. This process was repeated until everyone had contributed to all three sections. I then brought all three sections together to create one large drawing.

This workshop is part of the Community Arts Collaboration Program.