The Arbor Gallery in Vankleek Hill hosted a free canvas stretching workshop for Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute (VCI) students on November 2. The event was hosted by Artistic Director Andrea Belcham and the generous donation of time and resources by local artist Ian Griffiths.
Griffiths voluntarily led the workshop to teach an important skill to the participating art students as a way of paying it forward.
Canvas stretching involves the process of mounting a piece of fabric onto a frame, typically wooden, creating a smooth surface for artistic use. Tightly secured around the edges of the frame, the canvas provides the necessary tightness to create their work. Griffiths went through the process step-by-step to ensure students picked up on the necessary skills for future projects.
This is the first year that VCI is offering an Arts and Culture specialized high skills major (SHSM) program for those students interested in a career in the arts and culture sector. Partnering with the Arbor Gallery, there have been a variety of collaborative activities for VCI students. The gallery offers a co-op placement for one student per semester, which allows students to receive ten hours per week towards the credit hours needed for graduation.
Belcham emphasized local youth programming and art by “providing resources and an artistic outlet for the local community. It is important, and we want to encourage younger artists to use the gallery. Building these bridges with a program like this helps accomplish that.”
With the help of Belcham, VCI students are also organizing their own art exhibition, which will take place at the Arbor Gallery in January. She has been guiding students throughout all steps of the process, including making a call for submissions, evaluating submissions, writing artist statements, labelling and pricing artwork, and the future promotion of the exhibition.
VCI teacher Gisèlle Paquette stated that “society tends to see people as one-and-done; we base learning off the economy, production, and what makes money. This system doesn’t consider the individual or the pressure to produce, leading to a rise in mental health-related issues.”
“The arts encourage thinking outside of the box. It’s a different way of communicating—it allows creative thinkers to return to their sense of self and how we interpret the world,” Paquette continued.
Belcham added that “the arts are a great way to share perspectives beyond words, beyond electronic text. We realize that there are different points of view out there, and the arts are a great channel for that.”
One student in attendance explained that they wanted to have an artistic career, something that would allow them to express themselves and their place in the world. Another student said that they have always been interested in art and wanted to pursue something beyond art offered in school.
Griffiths concluded the workshop with a simple yet effective proclamation: “Art is about doing it for yourself, no one else.”
Additional materials for this workshop were also donated by another local artist, Cherie Harte.
As a community-funded and charitable organization, the Arbor Gallery and its projects rely on generous donations from the community. Donations can be made one-time or monthly at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/arborgallery-galeriearbor/?version=2.
