Category: Past Programs

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Our Stories: Art Exhibition Opening

Join us for the free public opening of Our Stories on September 17, 2022 from 2:30-4:30pm at the Toronto Public Library, Fairview Branch (35 Fairview Mall Drive). The exhibition will be located on the 3rd floor of the library, with an artist meet and greet on the 1st floor.

Our Stories is an exhibition of visual art and textiles created during a series of community arts workshops led by artists, Cecília Garcia and Tasneem Dairywala during the summer of 2022. All artworks were produced by Toronto-based artists, with a focus on residents from Toronto’s Don Valley Village and Fairview neighbourhoods. This exhibition explores a variety of mediums, including embroidery, creative writing, and watercolour pencils as a means of self-expression and personal storytelling. All are welcome to meet and discover the talent of Toronto’s local creative community at the opening of Our Stories.

Date:  Saturday September 17, 2022

Time: 2:30-4:30pm

Location: Toronto Public Library, Fairview Branch (35 Fairview Mall Drive)

1st Floor – Artist meet & greet

3rd Floor – Exhibition

Our Stories was produced with the support of Toronto Arts Council Strategic Funding, Mabelle Arts, Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto, and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

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Kite-Making Workshop

When: September 9
Time: 9:30 am to 12:00 pm
Where: Online


Description:
In this workshop participants will learn how to create a kite made of paper.
Orfelina has designed this biodegradable kite to educate communities about green
alternatives in order to reduce plastic pollution and reduce the risk to our wild animals.

Materials
• 4 big sheets of newspaper
• Regular glue
• Masking tape
• Cotton thread (To fly the kite)
• Acrylic paints
• paintbrushes
• A pair of scissor
• A pencil with a sharp point
• A marker, color pencil or a pen

Email tasneem@artignite.ca for more information.

This workshop is funded by Ontario Arts Council.

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Clay Art

 

Session 1:

Creating a bust/human face sculpture

Supplies:

  1. Air dry clay – minimum 0.5 Kg – light color (preferably white)
  2. A small bowl of water
  3. A prepared surface to work (Covered with cotton sheet, or plastic)

Session 2:

Creating a Narikomi inspired piece

Supplies:

  1. Air dry clay – minimum 0.5 Kg – light color (preferably white)
  2. A small bowl of water
  3. A prepared surface to work (Covered with cotton sheet, or plastic)
  4. Food coloring (At least 2 colors)
  5. A knife
  6. A favorite essential oil (optional)
The workshops will take place virtually on June 10th and June 17th, from 9:30 am – 12 pm.
 

To register, email Tasneem@artignite.ca.

This workshop is funded by Ontario Arts Council. 

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Stitching Spring

 

Stitching Spring is a 2 workshops embroidery series starting with the very basics of embroidery and walking participants through the creation of their embroidery art piece inspired by spring. In the beginning, participants will learn embroidery stitches and the basics to start embroidery art. Inspired by the theme of spring each participant will create their embroidery piece, starting with a sketched idea and using the learned stitches to create a textile art piece.

Materials needed to participate:

– Embroidery Hoop (recommended sizes between 4″ and 7″)

– 2 or 3 Fabric or felt pieces that are larger than the hoop (cotton, linen, or fabrics that don’t have too much stretch to them are recommended)

– Embroidery needles between sizes 2 to 7

– Needle threader (optional)

– Embroidery floss 

– Scissors 

– Markers 

The workshops will take place virtually on April 29th and May 6th, from 9:30 am – 12 pm.
 

To register, email Tasneem@artignite.ca.

This workshop is funded by Ontario Arts Council. 

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Stitching Diaries

Program Overview

Stitching Diaries is a community-engaged textile art program for self-identified women, non-binary, and two spirit ages 16+ in Toronto’s Don Valley Village and Fairview neighbourhoods.

Using journaling as a central theme, participants will create stitched journals and a written piece to tell their personal stories while exploring textile and stitching techniques with Toronto-based textile artist, Cecília Garcia. Participants will also learn about creative writing and Indigenous Teachings with guest artists Tasneem Dairywala and Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone. Final artworks will be exhibited at the Toronto Public Library, Fairview branch in September 2022.

Continue reading “Stitching Diaries”
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101 Embroidery and Creative Writing Workshop

April 1, 2022 | 9:30am-12:00pm EDT | Free Online Workshop

Join Toronto-based artists Cecília Garcia and Tasneem Dairywala for a free online embroidery and creative writing workshop for beginners. In this workshop, you will learn embroidery basics, including an introduction to stitches and materials, and get your thoughts flowing with a guided creative writing session.

Suggested materials list:

  • Fabric or felt
  • Embroidery floss
  • Embroidery needle
  • Embroidery hoop
  • Scissors
  • Pen and a notebook or paper

All materials can be found at Michaels craft store or other craft stores.

Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/101-embroidery-and-creative-writing-workshop-tickets-292908706827?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

Contact charlotte@artignite.ca for more information.

This project was supported through Toronto Arts Council Strategic Funding #poweredbyTAC  

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Creative Mask-Making

 

Participants will be making masks using various materials in creative ways. The
theme of this workshop is finding creative ways of mask making addressing stories of people, activities, and things that have gotten the participants through COVID time and isolation. These connective and rejuvenating acknowledgements become the inspiration for creating an individual mask. Participants will be led through the mask-making design and build process by the workshop lead, Banafshesh Erfanian. All levels of experience are welcomed.

Materials

Paper

Marker

Pencil crayons

Magazines or newspaper

Fabric

Glue stick

Masking tape

Wooden sticks (a pencil could be used instead)

Stapler

Strings of any kind or elastics

Hole puncher

Scissors.

The workshop will take place virtually on December 10th, from 9:30 am – 12 pm.
 

To register, email Tasneem@artignite.ca

This workshop is funded by Toronto Arts Council. 

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Eco-Friendly Accessories

 

Description:

In this workshop, environmental artist, Orflina, will share with participants how to make ornaments with citrus peels

As the drying process for organic material is natural, participants should consider that the material will require more than one day to get dry, and that the artwork will be finished at home by themselves.

Learning

  • Extraction of citrus peels.
  • How to cut the peels
  • Design the project
  • Shape the peels
  • Color the peels
  • Dry process
  • How to storage the pieces while drying
  • Burnish
  • Recommendations for care

Materials

  • Orange, lime, or lemon. Cut the fruit in half, prepare a delicious lemonade for you and bring the peels to the class! Bring enough peels to create different shapes.
  • 1 Egg carton
  • paper towel or newspapers
  • 1 package of Food coloring
  • 1 mt of recycled wool
  • One big needle. We will thread the needle with the wool
  • A pair of scissor 
The workshop will take place virtually on October 15th, from 9:30 am – 12 pm.
 

To register, email Tasneem@artignite.ca

This workshop is funded by Toronto Arts Council. 

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Remembering Home

 

Description: ‘Remembering Home’ is a community art activity that explores the themes of memory, movement, transition, and safe space. For everyone, the idea of a home and a safe space has changed, especially in the event of a pandemic. Akshata Naik, a facilitator and multidisciplinary artist, uses this workshop to engage participants in larger discussions while painting a birdhouse that serves as a metaphor of refuge, improvised space, and a home for birds. She compares this to nature and birds migrating in search of food, shelter, and a safe place to live similar to humans and their need for migration.

Artist Bio: Akshata Naik is a contemporary and a multidisciplinary visual artist. Born and raised in Mumbai, she is a newcomer to Canada. Her works reflect upon her lived experiences of moving homes, cities and countries through a lens of immigration, violence, displacement, home and belonging. She works towards co-creating with her viewers an immersive experience and interactive art installations which consists of digital drawings, paintings, videos, ephemeral temporary sculptures and art in virtual reality. Her work has been exhibited locally and internationally at institutions such as THEMUSEUM, Kitchener (2021) Nuit Blanche Toronto, Gladstone Hotel (2019) Gallery Espace, Delhi (2020) Artcore Gallery, UK (2016) 

Materials: Miniature wooden birdhouse (ones easily available at Dollar store) acrylic paint, brushes, markers, glitter, sequins, other decoration materials easily available at home.

The workshop will take place virtually on August 27th, from 9:30 am – 12 pm.
 

To register, email Tasneem@artignite.ca

This workshop is funded by Toronto Arts Council.