Saint John Arts Centre - The Place to Create
Constance Wooldridge has a secret - Saint John is home to a group of little artists with lots of big talent.
The long-time visual artist and instructor spends her Saturday mornings working with young artists eight years of age and older at the Saint John Arts Centre as part of the popular Secret Society of Underage Artists (10 a.m. to noon).
"We have some budding artists who are going to do great things," says Wooldridge, who can be found online at www.siennaarts.ca.
"Talking to some of them, you'd swear you were talking to a 25-year-old artist because they explain their vision and influences when talking about their work."
These junior artists receive one-on-one attention from Wooldridge as she teaches them about perspective, figure drawing, portraiture and landscape. Children work in the medium of their choice, such as watercolours, acrylic, pastels, conté or encaustics.
In another studio, potter Alison Gayton introduces five- to eight-year-olds to the world of visual arts with her Saturday morning Kids' Art with Alison. Working with paint, paper and clay, children explore their creative sides in a lively environment.
The next session of these six-week children's art classes starts Feb. 20 Pre-registration required, cost is $75.
Saint John Arts Centre executive director Heather White Brittain says the children's art workshops are just the starting point for an array of programs and events such as:
- Woodcarving with craftsman Philip Savage
- Art history lectures with artist Sarah Jones
- Figure painting with artist Alexandra Flood
- Pottery with Darren Emenau
- Landscape with oils with artist Cliff Turner
- Creative writing with author Gail Taylor
- Acrylics with artist Constance Wooldridge
- Introduction to sculpture with sculptor Richard Klyver
- Web basics for seniors with Lee Pigeon
- Two-day painting workshop with artist Brian Atyeo
- Self-guided life drawing
The Arts Centre also offers New Brunswick College of Craft and Design workshops:
- Illustration and creative books with illustrator George Fry
- Digital photography with photographer Rod Stears
- Clay and hand building with artist Alexandra Winchester
- Jewellery with metalsmith Buddy Merritt
- Weaving with textile artist Andrea Butler
"When you are here, you know you are in a creative environment," says White Brittain, of the Centre, which is housed in the historic Carnegie Library Building on Hazen Avenue in Uptown Saint John.
"People often say there is something magical going on in this building."
To learn more about the Saint John Arts Centre great workshops and other programs, visit the website - www.saintjohnartscentre.com
- Written by Lisa Hrabluk for saintjohn225.com
The Saint John 225 Spotlight is posted biweekly on Thursdays.
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