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Art Education

Our Mission is to be an educating facility presenting contemporary art issues and practices in the form of artists’ talks, panel discussions, workshops and symposiums. We are committed to providing high quality education programs for all ages. Workshop registration begins January 3, 2012: Call (250) 338 6211 or in person at the CVAG Gift Shop 580 Duncan Ave, Courtenay

Children's Workshops

Youth Workshops

Adult Workshops

ART 21

Art Talks

Discover Art Saturdays

School Tours

Workshops For Children				ART 21 - Art in the 21st Century
Saturday February 4 Wild and Wacky Animal Paintings with Tracy Kobus Age: Children ages 5 - 8 Time: 10:30am – 11:30am Cost: $12+ $5 supply fee +HST Location: Lower Level Studio						CVAG presents the award winning and Emmy nominated PBS documentary series in bi-weekly screenings and discussions. ART: 21 explores today’s most fascinating artists. How do they work and why? Meet the artists at work and speaking in their own words –direct, accessible and unfiltered. This series takes us into artists’ studios, homes and communities to provide an intimate view of their lives, work, creative processes and sources of inspiration. Each session, we will look at a segment on one artist followed by a facilitated discussion. Wednesday January 18 Ursula von Rydingsvard (Season 4: ECOLOGY) Ages: 12 to adult Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibition, In Place / Displaced and Animalmorphic, we’ll look at the theme of ECOLOGY; today’s screening will feature artist Ursula von Rydingsvard. Wednesday February 1 Mark Dion (Season 4: ECOLOGY) Ages: 12 to adult Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibitions, In Place / Displaced and Animalmorphic, we’ll take a look at the theme of ECOLOGY; today’s screening will feature artist Mark Dion. Wednesday February 15 Walton Ford (Season 2: HUMOR) Ages: 16 to adult Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibitions, In Place / Displaced and Animalmorphic, we’ll look at the theme of HUMOR; today’s screening will feature artist Walton Ford. Wednesday February 29 Kiki Smith (Season 2: STORIES) Ages: 12 to adult Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibitions, In Place / Displaced and Animalmorphic, we’ll look at the theme of STORIES; today’s screening will feature artist Kiki Smith. Wednesday March 14 Kimsooja (Season 5: SYSTEMS) Ages: 12 to adult Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibition, My Utopian Comox Valley, we’ll look at the theme of SYSTEMS; today’s screening will feature artist Kimsooja. Wednesday March 28 Do-Ho Suh (Season 1: STORIES) Ages: 12 to adult Date: Wednesday March 28, 2012 Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibition, My Utopian Comox Valley, we’ll look at the theme of STORIES; today’s screening will feature artist Do-Ho Suh. Wednesday April 11 Allan McCollum (Season 4: SYSTEMS) Ages: 12 to adult Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibition, My Utopian Comox Valley, we’ll look at the theme of SYSTEMS; today’s screening will feature artist Allan McCollum top of page
About The Workshop: Kids will use their imagination to create a completely fictional, wacky animal with collage materials and paint.  Have fun mixing up parts of different animals (eg. a tiger's body with an elephant's trunk) or think of something entirely new!  Next, paint its home, what it likes to do, make up the shape of its tracks and give it a name.  Let your imagination go wild! About the Instructor: Tracy 's imaginative acrylic paintings have been exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions across the northwest.  Since receiving her B.F.A. from the University of British Columbia , Tracy has participated in artists’ residencies at the Atlin Art Centre, the Banff Centre for the Arts and also at the Island Mountain Arts Centre in Wells.  Tracy, also an art instructor for adults and kids, has been inspiring others to pursue their own creativity for over a decade. www.tracykobus.com
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Saturday February 11 Wild and Wacky Animal Paintings with Tracy Kobus Age: Children ages 8-12 Time: 10am – 12noon (2 hours) Cost: $22+ $5 supply fee +HST Location: Lower Level Studio
About The Workshop: Kids will use their imagination to create a completely fictional, wacky animal with collage materials and paint.  Have fun mixing up parts of different animals (eg. a tiger's body with an elephant's trunk) or think of something entirely new!  Next, paint its home, what it likes to do, make up the shape of its tracks and give it a name. Let your imagination go wild! About the Instructor: Tracy ’s imaginative acrylic paintings have been exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions across the northwest.  Since receiving her B.F.A. from the University of British Columbia , Tracy has participated in artists’ residencies at the Atlin Art Centre, the Banff Centre for the Arts and also at the Island Mountain Arts Centre in Wells.  Tracy, also an art instructor for adults and kids, has been inspiring others to pursue their own creativity for over a decade.  www.tracykobus.com
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Saturday March 10 Art Buffet for Kids and Parents with Mary Anne Moore Age: Children ages 5-8, with a parent Time: 10:30am – 12noon (1.5hours) Cost: $12 + $10 supply fee +HST per person Location: Lower Level Studio
About The Workshop: 5- 8 year olds with parents: Children and their parents can work together or individually, creating artwork from wire, beads, glue, paper and more. Make sculptures, pictures, cards, or unrecognizably interesting art. Share ideas and inspire each other in this creative setting where you can be messy and inventive. About the Instructor: Mary-Anne Moore is a Vancouver Islander who has always been drawing, painting and making art. She believes everyone is creative and it starts from childhood. The trick is to encourage and support the little artists so they can rely on and be confident in their ideas. Mary-Anne attended the Victoria College of Art and received a Diploma in Fine Arts; she was taught by her Parents and Grandfathers and is now delighted to teach those skills and love of art to people of all ages.
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Saturday March 10 Art Buffet for Kids with Mary Anne Moore Age: Children ages 8-11 Time: 1pm – 2:30pm (1.5hours) Cost: $12 + $10 supply fee +HST Location: Lower Level Studio
About The Workshop: 8-11 year olds: Create artwork from wire, beads, glue, paper and more. Make sculptures, pictures, cards, or unrecognizably interesting art. Share ideas and inspire each other in this creative setting where you can be messy and inventive. About the Instructor: Mary-Anne Moore is a Vancouver Islander who has always been drawing, painting and making art. She believes everyone is creative and it starts from childhood. The trick is to encourage and support the little artists so they can rely on and be confident in their ideas. Mary-Anne attended the Victoria College of Art and received a Diploma in Fine Arts; she was taught by her Parents and Grandfathers and is now delighted to teach those skills and love of art to people of all ages.				Art Talks
						Saturday January 14, 2012 PANEL DISCUSSION: In Place / Displaced Time: 10am – 12noon Cost: Free or by donation Location: CVAG Contemporary Gallery About this event: In conjunction with the current exhibition in the Contemporary Gallery: This exhibit consists of a selection of artworks by three artists: Haruko Okano (Vancouver BC) – installation, Maria Whiteman (Edmonton AB) – large scale photography Pamela Speight (Nanaimo BC) – drawings to activate a dialogue surrounding the human relationship with animals, the phenomena of habitat/territory and invasive species. This panel discussion is designed to create a dialogue between the art, the artists and the community. In addition to the artists, representatives on the panel are from: - The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of - Cruelty to Animals - Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society - Tsolum River Restoration Society - Comox Valley Project Watershed. Saturday March 24 ART TALK: Diverse Approached to Watercolours with Gordon Greenhough, Tony Martin and Clive Powsey Time: 2pm – 3pm Cost: Free or by donation Location: Contemporary Gallery About the Talk: Currently exhibiting artists Gordon Greenhough, Tony Martin and Clive Powsey will give a talk concerning their process, materials & subject matter About the Artists: Gordon Greenhough is a graduate of the University of Calgary where he pursued his career in Education and Fine Arts.  For twenty seven years, he taught Fine Arts to secondary students in Calgar y. Tony Martin was educated at St. Martin’s School of Art (now Central St. Martin’s) and Alberta College of Art (Post Grad Painting), and recently retired as Director / Curator of Comox Valley Art Gallery, Courtenay , BC after 19 years. Clive Powsey studied drawing, painting and printmaking at the Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1980 and has exhibited his work regularly since 1981 in group and solo exhibitions.  He has also worked in animated film and television with screen credits as an art director and background artist/stylist.) top of page
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Saturday April 14 & 21 Really big ART! Where do I Belong? with Jenja McIntyre Age: children 5 - 8 years Date: Sat. April 14 and 21, 2012 Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm Cost: $40+ $5 supply fee +HST Location: Lower Level Studio
About the workshop: Kindergarten to grade three is the time children start to independently enter 'their community' as they start to think about where they belong and what and who they want to be part of. This workshop will give students a chance to make visual records of these idea while working in ways that they make not get a chance to in school or at home. These techniques might include: working on large wood panel, rather than 8x10 paper, collage with unusual materials, professional paint techniques, and projection. Masterpieces will be taken home to share.  Students should bring pictures of themselves and places they like or care about in their community. About the Instructor: Jenja McIntyre’s art is about the experience of being human and our relationships between each other and the environment. She works in many mediums: drawing, painting, photography, ceramics and piano are among her favorite forms of expression. She loves that art can bring together a community and provide so much joy and fulfillment. She earned her BFA from Emily Carr University, and aims to teach, make art and travel, before pursuing a Masters degree.
Workshops For Youth
Saturday March 17 & 24 Graffiti drawing Techniques! with Jeremy Hook Age: Teens aged 12 – 17 Time: 1pm - 3pm Cost: $45+ $20 supply fee +HST Location: Lower Level Studio
(Supply fee includes canvas to take home and use of brushes and paints)				Discover Art Saturdays
About the workshop: Students will design graffiti style images and text on paper or in sketchbooks and learn to transfer the design to large canvas, paper or walls.  In this class, finished projects will be painted using brushes and acrylic paint on canvas or board, for a piece of art that can be displayed in the home gallery! About the Instructor: Jeremy Hook is a local freelance artist and self proclaimed "Funk Soul Brother", trained in illustration and graphic design. With a Degree in illustration and graphic design from the Art Institute of Seattle, and a Bachelors of Science from Portland State University , he describes his art as surreal impressionistic, realism, with rural-urban cultural influences. Jeremy feels that all forms of creativity and personal expression could be embraced by our society to better understand our connection to our culture. He has worked as a freelance mural artist on and off for the past 6 years. His graffiti is a personal, cultural and environmental statement that reflects his connection to our planet. Graffiti is an art form that he is fascinated with, and uses his other artistic abilities to explore and express.						New at the Comox Valley Art Gallery! Saturday February 11 1pm – 4pm, free admission Everyone welcome, family friendly so bring the kids! Discover Art Saturdays is a 3 hour interactive visual art experience held on occasional Saturdays at the Comox Valley Art Gallery. This event is for everyone of all ages interested in learning about the visual arts, with emphasis on families who are looking for fun, creative, affordable activities. Featuring an hour of facilitated questions, answers and discussion, hosted by gallery staff and volunteers, and followed by 2 hours of drop in art making, this event will take place in the Contemporary Gallery (main space) of the CVAG. 1pm - 2pm: Discover Art! with the Gallery staff and volunteers (starts at 1pm sharp). Get an introduction to the current exhibits: Learn about the artists and artworks in the current exhibitions 2pm - 4pm: Drop in, facilitated art makingCreate your own exhibition inspired art or greeting cards to take away. This Saturday’s theme is “favourite animals” or “Valentines greetings”. We will provide art making supplies, scissors, stamps, blank cards and collage materials. Enjoy a casual social, meet other CVAG members and guests Upcoming dates for Discover Art Saturdays: Sat March 17 - St. Patrick's Day Sat April 7 - Easter Weekend Sat May 12 - Mother's Day weekend Sat June 16 - Father's Day weekend Sat June 30 - Canada Day weekend Sat August 4 - BC Day weekend Sat Oct 6 - Thanksgiving weekend Sat Oct. 27 Halloween weekend Sat Dec 8 - pre-Christmas top of page
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Saturday April 14 & 21 Legal Graffiti: Me and My Community with Jenja McIntyre Age: youth 12 - 17 Date: Sat. April 14 & 21, 2012 Time: 1:30pm – 3:30pm Cost: $45 + $15 supply fee +HST
About the workshop: This workshop incorporates drawing, painting and graffiti techniques. Students will work large scale on wood and create renditions of the theme 'my community'. The background will be focused around place and things important to the student concerning their community. Student will then place themselves upon their large scale masterpieces either through collage or large projections of their face. Students will have a chance to use fun new materials and should bring picture of themselves and places in their community. About the Instructor: Jenja McIntyre’s art is about the experience of being human and our relationships between each other and the environment. She works in many mediums: drawing, painting, photography, ceramics and piano are among her favorite forms of expression. She loves that art can bring together a community and provide so much joy and fulfillment. She earned her BFA from Emily Carr University , and aims to teach, make art and travel, before pursuing a Masters degree.
Workshops For Youth/Adults				School Tours
Tuesdays February 7, 14, 21, 28 The Figure with a Thousand Faces: Myths, Memes and the Life Model with Clive Powsey Age: Adult (18yrs & over, all levels) Time: 6:30pm – 9pm Cost: $125 +HST, includes model fees						School Tours Comox Valley Art Gallery welcomes Grades K – 12 school tours of up to 35 students to any of our current exhibitions. Activities vary and include an introduction to the current exhibits by the Curator, facilitated discussion groups which encourage students to explore the artworks using a variety of senses and art workshops led by gallery staff and volunteers.  Please note that you are not required to make a booking if you are bringing a group of students on a self guided visit. What’s Available? Curator’s Tour and Talk (40 minutes) Available for Grades 3 -12 Get an introduction to the gallery and current exhibits by the Curator, followed by facilitated discussion groups Cost: Free or by donation of $1 per student Curator’s Tour and Workshop (60 – 80 minutes) Available for Grades K - 12 Get an introduction to the gallery and current exhibits by the Curator, followed by an art making activity inspired by the art in the gallery Cost: $2 per student Curator’s Tour, Talk, Workshop (60 – 100 minutes) Available for Grades 3 - 12 Get an introduction to the gallery and current exhibits by the Curator, followed by facilitated discussion groups and an art making activity in the gallery Cost: $2 per student Although we can occasionally accommodate tours on less than 2 wks notice, advance notice helps us to ensure the best experience for your visit. Questions/Bookings: Anh Le, (250) 338 6211
Workshop Description: Classes will start with a brief slide show and then proceed to two hours of drawing from a nude model.  Our interest will be in studying and representing iconic poses that have been repeated, often for millennia, and that may be steeped with meaning.  Our model will strike poses both sacred and secular, from the sublime to the ridiculous, representing gods, saints, martyrs, angels, clowns, kings, despots, cover boys and girls and recurring characters from advertising, stage and film. There will be new poses in addition to some of the poses used in the last session. For some shorter 'warm-up' poses we will review classic life drawing exercises as methods to enhance observation and perception.  As well as enjoying the drawing process, participants might subsequently find they observe and draw the posed figure with new perspectives. About the Instructor: Clive Powsey studied drawing, painting and printmaking at the Ontario College of Art graduating in 1980 after spending his fourth and final year in an off-campus program in Florence , Italy . He has exhibited regularly since 1981 in solo and group exhibitions including International Waters (1991), a joint exhibition of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, the American Watercolour Society, and the Royal Watercolour Society. Clive has also worked in animated film and television with screen credits as an art director and background artist/stylist. www.clivepowsey.com Supply List (students will need to bring or buy): - All the participant’s preferred drawing materials or: - 18”x24” Newsprint pad - Conte and or compressed charcoal - Kneaded and/or white rubber eraser - Drawing  board to accommodate 18”x24” newsprint pad - Some better quality paper if desired
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Saturday March 31 and April 1 Adapting Your Photograph as a Watercolour Painting with Tony Martin Age: 15 to adult, intermediate and advanced Time: 10am – 4:30pm each day Cost: $145+HST
About the workshop: “Let’s not kid ourselves, 99% of us use photographs as subject matter for our paintings, especially in this digital age”. In this course, instructor/artist Tony Martin will show the most efficient methods of how to transfer the photo image to watercolour paper, how to abstract it or eliminate unnecessary content, and then the basic techniques of layering colours with paint. About the Instructor: Tony Martin trained at St. Martin’s London (BFA) and Alberta College of Art, Calgary (Post Grad Painting Dip); Tony has also taken an adult education course through UBC.  His teaching experience includes Grades 8 – 12 Quesnel Secondary School ; Continuing Ed., Alberta College of Art (drawing and composition painting); North Island College (illustration and composition painting credit courses); Burnaby and Vancouver School Board adult education, ( various art courses). Tony was the Director/Curator of CVAG from 1991-2010. Supply List - students will need to bring to class: – Set of student grade watercolour paints: (Colours: Crimson, cobalt blue, viridian green, medium yellow, lemon yellow, vermillion) – Economy watercolour paper, two sheets approx. 18 x 24” – Three brushes; fine, large square head for washes and small square – Pencil, eraser, paper towels or rags, masking tape
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Saturday April 7 Texture in Watercolours on Masa Paper with Judi Pedder Age: Adults 18 and up Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm Cost: $115 +HST (includes one ¼ sheet of prepared Masa paper)
About the Workshop: Dramatically change the look of the watercolour paintings with a unique Masa paper technique taught exclusively by Judi Pedder! Your paintings will attract attention! This technique is suitable for almost any subject matter: flowers, simple landscapes, sculpture, fish, star fish and butterflies for example. All students will receive a dry, previously prepared 1/4 sheet ready for painting on. Masa paper will also be available for purchase from the instructor for $5 a sheet, for those who wish to further explore this technique and material. About the Instructor: Judi Pedder was born and educated in England at the Ipswich School of Art and has lived in Canada since 1966. Judi is an active member of the local arts community. Her artwork has been exhibited Ontario, Victoria, Nanaimo and locally  at the Pearl Ellis Gallery, Filberg Lodge, Originals Only and Kitty Coleman Woodland Arts Festivals. She has been teaching for a decade, now mainly in the Comox Valley. www.judipedder.com Supply List - students will need to bring to class: - Artists’ quality transparent watercolours - A few brushes, including at least one 1” flat brush - Palette - Notebook - Reference material - your choice of photographs/sketches - Pencil for drawing and watercolour soluble pencil crayons if you have them - Cash for purchasing more Masa paper at $5 each from instructor