As the fall semester kicks off, M(M)A’s education staff Nicole Knibb and Teresa Gregorio have developed an asynchronous program for the McMaster community. The program, entitled “The Creative Process: Well-being through art with the McMaster Museum of Art”, explores how developing creative habits are connected to, and can improve, overall well-being.

The Creative Process is comprised of 8-sessions over the 16-week long semester (September 9 – December 16) and is available via McMaster University’s Avenue to Learn platform. Designed to offer a meaningful creative pursuit to the benefit of the McMaster community, the program welcomes a range of participants including students and teachers alike.

Rooted in the creation of a personal sketchbook, this custom designed course encourages the development of participants’ own artistic practices, while also offering a tool for reflection and stress-reduction. Instructional videos will be released every two weeks, each led by a dedicated facilitator with hands-on experience in the field, guiding participants through different media such as watercolour painting, beadwork, and collage. At the end of the program, participants can expect to have gained new creative skills, developed an understanding of the history of a variety of artistic mediums, and filled the pages of their own personal sketchbook, opening the door to future, individual explorations that can benefit personal well-being.

The first 25 registrants will receive all art supplies needed to engage in the bi-weekly sessions via direct mail, so sign up now as space is limited!

Sessions include:

Sketchbooks: Cultivating a Creative Practice — An introduction to sketching, drawing, and the habit of keeping a daily sketchbook with M(M)A Education Officer Teresa Gregorio

The West Campus Eco Art Project Stencil —  Guided by Wayne Terryberry from McMaster’s Athletics and Recreation Department, Sally McKay and Judy Major-Girardin from the School of the Arts, participants will discover how to design a stencil based on observing and considering the natural world around them

Cyanotype Printing Workshop with Sunprint Kit — An exploration of traditional, analog photographic techniques led by Hamilton artist and McMaster professor Liss Platt

#cutpastechill in 45 minutes or more! — An introduction to the art of collage with Hamilton artist stylo starr

Zine Making — The history of and how to create a zine with Caitlin O’Connell, McMaster Biomedical Graphics instructor and contributor to the Small Science Collective

How to Make Beaded Fringe Earrings — Traditional beadworker and former museum Indigenous Curatorial mentee Erin Szikora will lead this tutorial on how to make beaded fringe earrings

Watercolour Painting — Explore the art of watercolour painting and created your own canvas with McMaster School of the Arts Fine Art alumnus Donna Nadeem

The Art of Seeing — M(M)A’s Senior Education Officer Nicole Knibb and McMaster Family Medicine Professor Dr. Joyce Zazulak offer an introduction to looking at art from a health and humanities perspective

To register, provide contact details using the Microsoft form (MacID required), and an instructor will be in touch with more details.