Sitelines is a community arts project by Centre[3] in collaboration with the Mental Health Rights Coalition, which offers free arts-based workshops to adults with lived experience of mental health and addiction. Sitelines has been generously funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Sitelines has been generously supported by:
Drawing the Inside Out
A collection of consecutive drop-in online comics classes for adults and teens who want to create comics from their life experience. When and how we choose to declare ourselves to the world is hard to control in life, but in art, we hold all the power. For those struggling to know themselves, and to feel their own agency and creativity, comics are a powerful tool for reflection, enjoyment, community, and self-discovery. The four classes will function as stand-alone workshops, and all together will offer a range of creative experiences and skills for self-discovery, and making comics.
Facilitator's Bio
Georgia Webber is a comics artist, writer, and editor. She adores teaching, and leads by exemplifying curiosity in the classroom. Her philosophy is that teaching is a relationship first, exemplifying respect and curiosity, allowing the learning process to be fun, organic, and suited to each learner’s specific access needs. As an artist, Georgia’s notable projects include Dumb: Living without a Voice (Fantagraphics 2018), Dancing After TEN (co-authored with Vivian Chong, Fantagraphics 2020), and her founding directorship of MAW Vocal Arts. Learn more about Georgia’s offerings at www.georgiawebber.com.
Illustrative Embroidery
This workshop taught participants embroidery basics! Participants were taught to free hand embroider onto fabric using a hoop, needle and thread. After learning a few simple stitches, we spent time chatting, embroidering and teaching each other new tricks. With skills learned in this course, participants now have the tools to up-cycle clothing, create patches, and embroider their own designs as they please.
Facilitator's Bio
Mariel is a graduate of the Bachelor of Illustration program at Sheridan College. Her practice includes embroidery, digital rendering and media exploration. She has a special interest in the relationships between human forms existing in space together.
Surreal Self-Portraiture
In this workshop we explored surreal artists and elements to create self-portraits. With a mixture of fantasy/fact using common and uncommon themes to express their story, artists completed works that are uniquely surreal.
Facilitator's Bio
April Mansilla (facilitator of both Art of Madness + Surreal Self Portraits) My Memories, successes, unavoidable setbacks and failures; these are just a few of the inspirations that drive me to create. I belong to a world where hope entwines with despair and sanity flows freely into madness, and with my art, I can achieve an honest balance between those worlds. In a beautiful narrative of the human condition, I create my Art, a visual representation of what many of us struggle against and the unbelievable levels we reach in overcoming the hardships life throws our way.
The Art of Madness
In these workshops we journeyed through the life and works of the “Mad Artist”. Each week we viewed and discussed a different artist for inspiration. We then went to work on a guided exercise based on that artist.
