SUPPORTIVE ARTS FALL WEDNESDAYS
September 16 @ 10:00 am - December 16 @ 12:00 pm EDT
$280.00
REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 4
EVERY WEDNESDAY, SEPT 16 – DEC 16
10 AM – 12 PM
Weekly, inclusive art & mindfulness classes for adults with varying abilities. Join us Sept to June for weekly guided 2-hour workshops designed to support adults of all abilities. Each session embraces diversity and friendship through explorations in art making, movement, mindfulness and music. Every week is as unique as our participants!
SUPPORTIVE ARTS is a unique program offering arts-based learning opportunities and compelling artistic experiences to individuals with varying abilities. We welcome adults and caregivers from Wellington County and the surrounding areas to our weekly guided art workshops led by ECFTA Arts Educators in an atmosphere of encouragement, respect, and self-expression. Every session is designed to deliver high0quality arts experiences that support not only artistic growth but also mental wellness and social connection.
Workshops begin and end with mindfulness practices, including gentle movement, breathing exercises, and creative visualization techniques that help participants reduce anxiety, build focus, and engage fully in the creative process. Sessions conclude with an artist sharing “exhibition” time, creating opportunities for celebration, reflection, and supportive peer feedback where every participant’s voice is valued.
Our bright and cheerful ECFTA classroom is wheelchair accessible and accommodates up to 14 participants, with space for accompanying support workers and ECFTA volunteers.
The 2025-26 Supportive Arts season is supported by;
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- WC Wood Foundation
- Rotary Club of Fergus/Elora
- Guelph Community Foundation
- The Township of Centre Wellington
- The Foot Family Fund
- And many generous donors from our community
We thank you!
There are no REFUNDS for missed classes. If you are unable to attend for any reason, classes are transferrable to another participant.
PAYMENT can be made using a credit card by registering below. Registration & payment via e-transfer or personal cheque are also accepted.
Please contact us for more information or availability on our waitlist.
Visit our Facebook page for photos and updates!
Meet Judy!
Judy Anderson is an artist and educator and manages Public Programs at the Elora Centre for the Arts. She has run the Supportive Arts program since 2017, creating art projects that embrace diversity and are engaging for artists of all abilities. Judy is passionate for creativity in all its forms and is particularly fascinated by shadowy storytelling, the curious imaginations of children, and the unique abilities within each of us. Judy studied at Ontario College of Art & Design and the University of Guelph. She makes her playful and peculiar brand of art under the name kukucaju.com
Meet Eileen!
Eileen MacArthur is a practicing artist and arts educator with over 20 years of experience teaching art to adults and children at the Guelph School of Art, Studiohere and the Art Gallery of Guelph. She holds a Master of Fine Art degree from the University of Guelph, and a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. Eileen is inspired by watching artist communities evolve and flourish! Eileen owns and operated the Arthur School of Art, an art school located in her studio at her home in Arthur Ontario.
Meet Stephanie!
Stephanie Lines-Toohill brings compassion, creativity, and mindfulness to everything she does and reminds us to pause and find wonder in unexpected places. Stephanie also runs Sparrow’s Nest Makerspace, a Community Social Enterprise that is located in the Art Centre. The Nest is a collaborative creative space for all ages, where making, mending and inventing know no bounds! You might find her on a forest walk where she finds calming inspiration and beautiful found objects. Stephanie has been leading youth art groups and community art opportunities for over 20 years. She champions the process of each artist as a curious explorer!