VISUAL CONNECTIONS : August 2011

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

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

BIOGRAPHY

Gerard McNeil brings a diverse background to his present role as Recreation / Community Access Coach - Program Lead with the Canadian Mental Health Association - Halifax / Dartmouth Branchs' Getting Through the Door Program. For past twenty- eight years, Gerard has been engaged in a visual arts practice with exhibitions in Halifax, Toronto and St John’s. Along with his experiences in the visual arts, Gerard has been facilitating adult and community arts education programs for more than fourteen years. Paralleling this experience is some Twelve years’ experience in the Human Services field working with persons with disabilities.

Informing these experiences is an equally diverse educational background that includes a Certificate in Photography from the Halifax Regional Vocational School (NSCC), a BFA in Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, a Certificate in Adult Education from Henson College (Dalhousie University), a B.Ed - Visual Arts Specialist degree from NSCAD and Mount Saint Vincent University. Gerard also possesses an M.Ed in Adult Education from Mount Saint Vincent University, a Certificate in Non-Profit Sector Management from Henson College (Dalhousie University), and is a Certified PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) Practitioner. Along with these credentials, Gerard has also completed the Tatamagouche Model of Education, Design and Leadership program (Levels One and Two), as well as participated in the Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership.