Adult Workshops
Events
Supportive Arts Program for Young Adults with (dis)Abilities – Fall 2022 to Spring 2023
SUPPORTIVE ARTS is a unique program supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, offering arts-based learning opportunities and compelling artistic experiences to individuals with (dis)abilities living in the community. We welcome adults and caregivers from Wellington County and the surrounding areas to our weekly program. Led by ECFTA Arts Educators and Mindfulness Coaches. The Supportive Arts program has now expanded to 4 sessions per week.
THE PROGRAM: Join us for a guided 2-hour workshop, specifically designed to support adults of all abilities. Each session, we will embrace diversity and friendship through explorations in art making, movement, mindfulness and music. Every week is as unique as each of our participants! Supportive Arts is offered free of charge to all participants and support companions, thanks to the generous support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
So you want to write a novel? In the gallery with authors Sonia Day and Donna McCaw
THURSDAY, SEPT 29 | 7-9 PM
Maximum 50 participants
$15 PLUS HST
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE OR $20 CASH AT THE DOOR
An interactive discussion between authors Sonia Day and Donna McCaw. Sonia and Donna will share their ideas about their experiences writing, publishing and marketing a novel.
Bring your ideas, your questions, your sense of humour and your curiosity!
Colour, Light & Line with Peter Skoggard
DRAWING EXPLORATIONS IN PASTEL FOR ALL! | COLOUR, LIGHT & LINE WITH PETER SKOGGARD
AGES 16+
MAX 12 people
$75 + HST
A lively introduction to drawing for beginners or those who wish to re-engage with their drawing practice. Led by enigmatic artist and Instructor Peter Skoggard.
Across the Great Divide: A Novel Adventure! | In the gallery with authors and music
7-9 PM | 50 MAX
TICKETS NOW ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR! $25 cash.
An evening of music, storytelling and fun! Meet a Mae West quoting Angel. Meet Earl, an underperforming reporter who becomes the media liaison for God. Meet Simon, a clay-footed mortal man whose life needs a do-over.
Try your hand at musical trivia too! Come for some laughs, music and stories!
Exploring Oil & Cold Wax Medium – weekend workshop with Laurie Skantzos
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2022 | 11 AM - 4 PM SAT & SUN
Ages 16+
$250 + HST +$20 KIT FEE
MAX 10 - SOLD OUT About the Workshop:This course will appeal to painters of any level, who wish to deepen or rekindle their relationship to their inner muse.
Over two days, you will venture deeper into your painting process and develop your personal expression in a safe, non-judgmental and playful space. There will be lots of individual attention along with group demos to address questions and ideas!
Needle Felted Sheep! Workshop with Megan Cleland
Ages 12+ (MAX. 10 participants)
$95 + HST | $15 KIT FEE
Join artist Megan Cleland of In the Line of Fibre to learn the basics of needle felting and create your own amazingly life-like wooly sheep portrait in a day! Megan will guide you step-by-step through this multi-media process and teach you the techniques of transferring a sketch; painting a background; and how to needle felt an image onto canvas. Once completed you will have the skills to create your own designs. Bring a friend and sign up today!
Ideal for ages 12 and up. No experience required.
PYROGRAPHY WORKSHOP! BIRCH TREE WOODBURNING ON CHARCUTIERIE BOARD WITH HEATHER MARTIN OF FIREWORK DESIGNS
PAINT the ART you LOVE!
PAINT the ART you LOVE! with Eileen MacArthur | 6-week OPEN STUDIO series
Every Wednesday | November 2 – December 7, 2022
7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Max. 10 | Ages 16+
$150 plus HST ($25 per session)
sold out
Learn to make the paintings you LOVE in this OPEN STUDIO class with artist and ECFTA Arts Educator Eileen MacArthur. Eileen will guide you through various exercises and allow for independent working time and individual & group critique. If there is an artist whose work inspires you, this class will provide guidance on how to emulate their work and incorporate ideas and techniques into your own own work.
Eileen will offer a welcoming and collaborative environment for all skill levels to learn from one another, while developing their own individual art practice.
Holiday Cardinal! Needle Felting & Mixed Media Workshop with Megan Cleland
AGES 16+ | MAX. 10 participants
$95 + HST | $15 KIT FEE
Spend the day with artist Megan Cleland of @inthelineoffibre to learn the basics of needle felting and create your own 8x10 canvas, featuring a cheery needle felted and mixed-media, acrylic Holiday Cardinal!
2 spots left!
Winter MACRAME & Evergreen WREATH! with Fringed Elora and Oak + Ivy
Sunday, November 27, 2022 | 1 pm to 4 pm
Ages 16+ | Max 15
$90 plus hstsold out
Oak + Ivy and Fringed Elora are combining forces to bring a festive, ever lasting holiday wreath workshop to Elora Centre for the Arts’ studio classroom for some seasonal merry MAKING!
Learn the basics of macrame from Cecilia Cheng of Fringed Elora, with an emphasis on the most common knots used to create your own designs. Olivia Harrison from Oak and Ivy will teach you how to create your own seasonal foliage arrangement and discuss foraging tips to create your own winter wreath!
A perfect Sunday afternoon for you and a friend! No experience necessary. All materials included.
EXPRESSING YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT! TAPESTRY WEAVING WITH DIANNE KENNEDY CRUTTENDEN
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Tapestry weaving is a medium of artistic expression that is both ancient and modern. It is a way of ‘painting’ with yarn that uses texture, colour and line as part of the process. It is a slow meditative practice that can be described as a form of moving meditation. Join Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden for a day of fun with fibre in this free-spirited weaving workshop. This class is for new weavers and for those who have the basics and wish to explore new techniques. Dianne brings her wealth of knowledge and spirit of adventure to this 51/2 hour class. We will explore the art of tapestry weaving through a variety of techniques such as; plain weave, rya knots, soumak, eccentric weave and irregular hatching, whilst playing with form, colour and texture. Participants will go home with a finished tapestry ready to hang. This is a great way to begin your weaving adventure without the cost of an expensive loom!LOOSE DUTCH FLORAL ACRYLIC! PAINTING IN THE ROUND WITH EILEEN MACARTHUR
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Join artist Eileen MacArthur for a light and loose, guided workshop, with focus on creating a tondo floral composition using multiple found sources for inspiration and a conte transfer to get started! Eileen will lead you in the steps to create a 2-foot diameter, original acrylic on a round MDF panel. Explore colour mixing, the figure-ground relationship, and elements of composition. During the course of the day, artists will also delve into various techniques of representational painting, loosely based in the Dutch floral tradition, and try out several brushes and methods of paint application. All levels of experience welcome!Pyrography Workshop | Woodburning with Heather Martin of FireWorks Designs – SOLD OUT
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Elora Centre for the Arts is pleased to host FireWorks Designs in our studio classroom! Please register through Event Brite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learn-to-woodburn-birch-trees-tickets-535967030817 Woodburning has endless possibilities when it comes to creating images, similar to drawing with pencil on paper. Woodburning, however, requires various different techniques to create texture, lines and tonal values and is a much slower process. Join Pyrography Artist Heather Martin of FireWork Designs to begin or expand your knowledge of woodburning while you create your own usable, giftable cherry or ambrosia maple charcuterie board. Heather will guide you through various woodburning techniques to incorporate texture and interest to your piece. You will also learn about recommended woods and other helpful hints as you work your way through this immersive process. It’s always fun to learn with a friend, with no experience in drawing or woodburning, this makes the perfect class to relax and enjoy the afternoon together! No Experience Necessary. All materials provided: 8x10inch Charcuterie Board, 1oz Board CreamOil & Cold Wax Abstract Landscapes with Carolyn Sharp
Unleash your creativity and make your own masterpiece using oil paint and cold wax medium. Carolyn will guide you towards creating atmospheric and colourful abstracted land & waterscape paintings on archival oil paper and cradled wood panels. You will also learn ways to find compelling compositions and create colour harmony in your paintings. This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience, so come explore, experiment and get those creative juices going!
Portrait Drawing with David Caesar
Neighbourwoods Spring Tree Talk: Restoration as Connection
HELLO IN THERE: A TRIBUTE TO JOHN PRINE
sold out (sorry, no tickets at the door)
Advanced tickets for the April 29 at the Elora Centre for the Arts ONLY available ONLINE HERE and at the door. Cash only at the door. *Please note. Tickets for the May 18 at Silence, ONLY available at the door, Guelph venue. Join us in our main gallery for an evening of live music, celebrating the life of John Prine. Featuring favourites performed by five musicians, James Gordon, Mark Ostrowski, Ian Reid, Katy Topham and Paul Whitaker in an intimate evening of stories and songs to celebrate this well loved and respected performer. A songwriter’s songwriter with so many heart touching lyrics and ear worm tunes, Prine died of complications from Covid in 2020 leaving a remarkable catalogue of memorable songs.A Bird in the Hand Drawing & Mixed Media with David Caesar
Creative Tapestry Weaving with Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden
sold out!
All materials included in $25 kit fee payable to the instructor at the start of class. Join Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden for a day of fun with fibre in this free-spirited weaving workshop. Dianne brings her wealth of knowledge and spirit of adventure to this 5-1/2 hour class and you will go home with a finished tapestry ready to hang! Tapestry weaving is a medium of artistic expression that is both ancient and modern. It’s a way of ‘painting’ with yarn that uses texture, colour and line as part of the process. This workshop is designed for those both with experience, and those who are new to Tapestry Weaving. We will explore the art of tapestry weaving through a variety of techniques such as; plain weave, rya knots, soumak, eccentric weave and irregular hatching, whilst playing with form, colour and texture. Dianne will also bring a variety of looms and demonstrate how to warp up the various looms, including a pipe loom and a rigid heddle loom. Students can then take turns trying them out. This is a great way to begin your weaving adventure without the cost of an expensive loom! For those who have some experience we will refresh and build upon the skills you have and for those who are new, well get ready to have fun and learn an exciting and beautiful way of expressing your creativity. Dianne welcomes those who have taken a previous workshop with her, as well as all beginners!A Fox or A Hare? | Needle Felting with Megan Cleland
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Please note, there is a $20 material kit fee is payable in cash directly to artist at the start of class.A Fox or A Hare? What a fine pair! Learn the art of needle felting a FOX or HARE portrait. Your choice! Join fibre artist, Megan Cleland in a guided workshop to needle-felt your way to create your own woolly portrait of either a fox or a hare. Megan will talk about different transfer techniques, options for backgrounds, colour theory and the basics of dry felting with wool. The finished piece will be framed in a 10” embroidery hoop. A great way to learn a new skill that you can continue to develop and experiment with on your own. Suitable for any level of experience! $20 kit fee is payable in cash to the instructor at the start of class. Included in the kit fee: Backing fabric with image, foam backing, wool, needle, 10” embroidery hoop. **Please let us know your choice of FOX or HARE after you register by emailing Judy at programming@ecfta.ca. Please put "Fox" or "Hare" in the subject line!
SUPPORTIVE ARTS for Adults with Varying Abilities | Fall 2023 Program
FALL 2023 CLASSES | 14-week series
Thursday mornings | September 14 – December 14, 2023 | 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Weekly inclusive ART & mindfulness THURSDAY WORKSHOPS for adults with (dis)abilities.sold out
ACRYLIC PAINTING with EILEEN MACARTHUR
ACRYLIC PAINTING with Eileen MacArthur
6-week THURSDAY STUDIO series
Every Thursday | October 5 - November 9, 2023
7:00 pm-8:30 pm
Ages 14+ | MAX 12
$150 + hst for all 6 weeks ($25 per session)sold out
Some materials provided. Please see more ** This class is designed for all levels of experience and will be an introduction to the basics of acrylics. We will be completing in-class exercises and students will be encouraged to develop their own work at their own pace. We will focus on materials, techniques and methods, and we will also have time for individual and group critique. We will be looking at the work of historical and contemporary artists for inspiration, while exploring a variety of ways of working. Class will be guided for first 3 weeks. The second half of course will be guided in first part, working time and feedback in second half of class. This class will be fun and friendly and we encourage artists to engage with other students in the class. All skill levels and experience are welcome!EMBROIDERY BASICS with Ahmri Vandeborne
BASKET MAKING FROM YOUR GARDEN with Megan Cleland
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Looking for a new skill to add to your kit & caboodle of activities to get you through the winter? Join fibre artist Megan Cleland for a full day of learning the art of basket making and take home a beautiful hand-woven basket or bowl at the end class! In this workshop you will learn how to make cordage from dried day lilies in the morning and in the afternoon turn that cordage into your own unique piece. You will be ready to harvest or forage your own plant materials from your garden or nature walks this fall and hang to dry, ready within days to create more hand-woven shapes to share with others!NIGHT GARDEN | PLANTS THAT KILL | Printmaking for Adults
3 spots left!
Join artist and ECFTA team member, Ray Fleming for an afternoon of DARK mark-making! We will explore the shadowy world of plants that kill in this introduction to LINO BLOCK PRINTING. Ray will offer a choice of three poisonous plants as your subject and guide you through the process of carving and lino block printing; the purple poison Acontium (Monkshood), Conium Maculatum (Hemlock), or the deadly Galerina mushroom.WINTER WEAVING WORKSHOP! | With Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden
sold out
$110 plus hst *Please note, there is a $30 kit fee, payable in cash to the instructor at the start of class. Join textile artist Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden for a full day of learning the basics of tapestry weaving! During this workshop, students will be using 2 (canvas) looms. In the morning students will work on a smaller canvas for a sampler of weaving techniques, and in the afternoon the class will work on a larger canvas for their finished winter tapestry. Dianne will have winter theme designs participants can choose from or they may choose to do their own design.WINTER WEAVING WORKSHOP! | With Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden
sold out
$110 plus hst *Please note, there is a $30 kit fee, payable in cash to the instructor at the start of class. Join textile artist Dianne Kennedy Cruttenden for a full day of learning the basics of tapestry weaving! During this workshop, students will be using 2 (canvas) looms. In the morning students will work on a smaller canvas for a sampler of weaving techniques, and in the afternoon the class will work on a larger canvas for their finished winter tapestry. Dianne will have winter theme designs participants can choose from or they may choose to do their own design.CHAIN-MAILLE TREE ORNAMENT! | SANTA HAT WITH ARTISAN MAILLE
GLOWING FORESTS | LIGHT & SHADOW | ACRYLIC PAINTING WITH VERA KISSELEVA
sold out
Join Artist Vera Kisseleva for a beginner-friendly workshop and discover the joy of painting vibrant forest scenes filled with luminous light! www.VeraKissArt.comGLOWING FORESTS | LIGHT & SHADOW | ACRYLIC PAINTING WITH VERA KISSELEVA
sold out
Join Artist Vera Kisseleva for a beginner-friendly workshop and discover the joy of painting vibrant forest scenes filled with luminous light! www.VeraKissArt.comSUPPORTIVE ARTS WEDNESDAYS for Adults with Varying Abilities | Winter Wednesday Program
WEDNESDAY WINTER 2024 CLASSES | 10-week series
WEDNESDAY mornings | January 3 – March 6, 2024 | 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Weekly inclusive ART & mindfulness WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS for adults with (dis)abilities.sold out
SUPPORTIVE ARTS THURSDAYS for Adults with Varying Abilities | Winter Thursday Program
THURSDAY WINTER 2024 CLASSES | 10-week series
THURSDAY mornings | January 4 – March 7, 2024 | 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Weekly inclusive ART & mindfulness THURSDAY WORKSHOPS for adults with (dis)abilities.sold out
WINTER LIGHT | ACRYLIC PAINTING | WITH VERA KISSELEVA
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Join Artist Vera Kisseleva for a beginner-friendly workshop and discover the joy of painting shimmering winter landscapes filled with glowing colour and luminous light! www.VeraKissArt.comOPEN STUDIO | WITH EILEEN MACARTHUR
OPEN STUDIO | with Eileen MacArthur
6-WEEK THURSDAY EVENING STUDIO SERIES
Thursdays | January 18 - February 29, 2024
Last class Thurs. Feb. 297:00 pm-8:30 pm
AGES 14+ | MAX 12
$150 + hst for all 6 weeks ($25 per session)sold out
Join artist Eileen MacArthur for an immersive 6 week open studio series designed for artists who have some experience and/or would like specific guidance to develop or resolve their work. Class will focus on individual and group critiques, as well as affording the students to opportunity to experiment with various methods and materials. The working environment will be collaborative and specific exercises will be included for students to develop their critical thinking and studio practice.LOOSE STILL LIFE | WITH INGA GIRCYTE
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In this workshop, artist INGA GIRCYTE will guide you in a free and relaxed approach to STILL LIFE using few techniques which will help you to loosen up and gain more confidence when approaching painting with acrylic. Students will start with warm up exercises on paper, moving into mixed media applications, and then to the final canvas. Inga will show you how to combine different mediums together to achieve unique and expressive results! At the end of the workshop, you will leave with drawings, one on archival paper with mixed media, and the finished canvas. All experience levels are welcome!WEAVING 201 | EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH TAPESTRY | WITH DIANNE KENNEDY CRUTTENDEN
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Weaving 201 is designed for those with some weaving experience who wish to dive into designing and creating woven tapestry. To support weavers on this journey, Dianne will review techniques, answer your questions, and discuss a variety of designing techniques. This workshop will give you the opportunity to experiment with various methods and materials. A great way to continue your weaving journey! Just bring your enthusiasm!GELLI PLATE PRINTMAKING! | WITH AHMRI VANDEBORNE
ELORA NIGHT & DAY! | OIL PAINTING WITH RICK WORTHINGTON
SUPPORTIVE ARTS WEDNESDAYS for Adults with Varying Abilities | Spring Wednesday Program
SPRING 2024 Wednesday Classes | 14-week series
WEDNESDAY mornings | March 20 - June 19, 2024 | 10 am - 12 pm
Weekly inclusive ART & mindfulness WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS for adults with varying abilities. sold outSUPPORTIVE ARTS THURSDAYS for Adults with Varying Abilities | Spring Thursday Program
SPRING 2024 Thursday Classes | 14-week series
THURSDAY mornings | March 21 - June 20, 2024 | 10 am - 12 pm
Weekly inclusive ART & mindfulness THURSDAY WORKSHOPS for adults with varying abilities. sold outINTRO TO SEWING FOR ALL! | WITH AHMRI VANDEBORNE
Join artist Ahmri Vandeborne from Otherwise Studios in this easy-going introduction to sewing!
Using ready-made stencils of a bird, tree, or flower, or designing your own template, learn basic sewing techniques to create a stuffed felt home decor piece! Participants will gain the knowledge of simple embroidery stitches to embellish their work and will go home with a unique, handcrafted piece to hang up at home for all to enjoy.


















































