Visual Arts

Whatever your medium of choice—charcoal, pencil, watercolour, acrylic, oil, and more—express yourself through drawing and painting under the guidance of our expert instructors. Pre-registration is required. 

Daily activities and drop-ins

Adult

Seasonal programs

School Age

Adult

Adult 55+

Unravel your creativity in our fabric arts programs—from knitting and quilting to tailoring, and more—you’ll have ‘sew’ much fun! Pre-registration is required. 

Daily activities and drop-ins

Adult

Adult 55+

Seasonal programs

Adult

Adult 55+

We offer general arts programs covering a variety of topics for aspiring and seasoned artists of all interests. Pre-registration is required. 

Seasonal programs

Early Years

School Age

Adult

Adult 55+

Take your photography skills to the next level! Pre-registration is required. 

Seasonal programs

Adult 55+

Join local artists and instructors for classes and workshops that explore pottery, ceramics, and more. We offer options for individuals and groups of all ages and levels of experience, from beginners to long-time potters. 

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Discover the joy of printmaking and master a variety of techniques as you explore this unique visual art!

Seasonal Programs

Adult

Explore the exciting and dynamic world of theatre arts and film! Engage in seasonal programs and camps for aspiring actors, filmmakers, producers, and performing arts enthusiasts of varied ages and interests.

Seasonal programs

School Age

Carve some time in your schedule to polish your woodworking skills. Pre-registration is required. 

Seasonal programs

Adult 55+

Get creative and make it a day to remember with workshops coving a range of visual arts topics. Pre-registration is required. 

Seasonal programs

School Age

Adult

Family and All Ages

Celan is a mixed media painter currently based in Vancouver, BC. Her upbringing in the American South influenced her love of spinning a good tale, textiles, and sublime landscapes. 

She graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and is a Vermont Studio Center Fellow, and a two-time recipient of the Houston Artist Association Individual Artist Grant. Celan has work in permanent collections across the United States, including at the Bush Intercontinental Airport and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Website | Instagram

Elizabeth Cox is an artist, designer, and instructor who trained as a commercial artist studying graphic design, interior design, and visual presentation in college. After graduating, Elizabeth worked as a window dresser for major retailers, a freelancer, and then taught visual presentation at Seneca College in Toronto and Langara College in Vancouver.  

Elizabeth’s passion for watercolour began in California after she took her first class in 2000 and started teaching watercolour classes in Vancouver in 2009. Over 700 classes later, and she believes that her students helped her learn how to teach watercolour painting in a fun, non-threatening, and comprehensive way. 

Elizabeth is always enthusiastic about opening the door to reluctant beginners, so that they can feel the pure joy of being an artist. 

Website

Elmira Sarreshtehdari is an artist, art researcher, and educator based in Canada. Elmira holds a BFA, MFA, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Art Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). 

She engages with various art materials and mediums, including drawing, participatory installation art, sound, and video performance, with a specific emphasis on embodied, affective, and socially engaged art practices. Since 2009, Elmira has actively curated, exhibited, and taught art locally and internationally. 

Javid Tabatabaei is a practicing artist with over 20 years experience. He has taught workshop, visual art classes, and curated group and solo exhibitions in countries around the world, including China, Turkey, Italy, Pakistan, Japan, Serbia, and Canada. 

He has been an active jury member for the International Watercolor Society of Turkey, acted as Brand Ambassador for Rock Well Art Supplies Inc, and has been the recipient of many awards and prizes from various art competitions. 

Website

Mariana Sola is an Argentinian-born visual artist and instructor based on the North Shore. She has lived in several countries and brings a rich, multicultural perspective to her teaching. Mariana works in both ceramics and mixed media, with a strong love for pottery in all its forms—hand-building, wheel-throwing, functional pieces, and sculptural work.

She is especially drawn to raku, and loves exploring texture, surface, and experimentation. In her mixed media and painting practice, she enjoys layering, mark-making, and working with a variety of materials inspired by nature, culture, and everyday life.

Teaching is a central part of Mariana’s practice. She loves working with students of all ages and skill levels, encouraging curiosity, confidence, and creative exploration in a relaxed and supportive environment.

Mariana holds a B.F.A. from the National University of the Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Website | Instagram

Artmania offers fun and exciting arts classes for children, teens and adults. Their studio is by the sea at John Lawson Park, The Silk Purse Arts Studio, and The Music Box in West Vancouver. These studios provide the creative setting for hands-on art, acting, and movie making experiences through classes and workshops.

Mary Hay has over 17 years of experience as an art educator. She works with watercolour, acrylic, oils, encaustic, digital collage, drawing, and textiles. Curiosity and a thoughtful approach to contemporary visual culture are driving forces behind the engaging surfaces she creates, which fluctuate between abstraction and recognition. 

Mary earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts and studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the Ontario College of Art and Design, and Sheridan College. Mary’s career in art spans from running a professional fabric design studio, an arts-oriented daycare, and the founding Director of Artmania, an arts organization that teaches all ages a diverse range of art mediums.

Website

Nazanin has an abiding love for painting that dates back to her childhood when she first took an interest in making art. Nazanin practices many forms of painting and music. 

In 1996, she pursued her dream to be a professional painter and has since dedicated her career to the arts. She held her first solo exhibition in 2000, and to this date, has had more than 16 solo and group exhibitions. Nazanin is a member of the Visual Arts Association in Iran, and has a Bachelor of Arts Management degree from Tehran's Azad University, and an Associates degree in Music. 

The passion and interest that she has for painting is a reflection of her family's artistry and the creative environment in which she was raised.

Website

Vancouver-born artist, Sonia Mocnik, is inspired by the outdoors. Her artwork captures colour, light, and the relationship they make with the stroke of a paint brush. 

She explores different techniques and subject matter and works primarily in watercolour, pen and ink, and acrylic. Her works are collected internationally in Australia, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. 

Sonia is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and an avid Plein Air artist, winning awards for her paintings. She instructs individual and group classes, including enrichment programs in watercolour on cruise ships and presents art demonstrations.

Website

Yaimel López Zaldívar is a Cuban multi-media artist based in Canada. His work encompasses experimental, animation, print media, graphic design, and illustration. He has been based in Vancouver since 2019, where he began working as an artist, graphic designer, and educator.

As an artist, he has collaborated with various local organizations, including the Vancouver Latin-American Film Festival (VLAFF), Vancouver Latin-American Cultural Centre (VLACC), and Vancouver Foundation. He has been involved in many exhibitions, including the triennial Vancouver Special: Disorientations and echo at the Vancouver Art Gallery. His work has been published in books, magazines, and is part of the Burnaby Art Gallery's Permanent Collection.