Cultivate creativity and tighten team bonds through painting, pottery and glass-blowing workshops offered by local Toronto artists.
Across the city, Toronto artists, innovators and creators from a range of disciplines are imparting their artistic talents through immersive workshops and team-building sessions. Have your group find connection and inspiration with the city’s creative makers. Here are three ideas to get your planning started.
Paint Using Traditional Indigenous Techniques
Toronto has the largest Indigenous population in Ontario, and there are many experiences in the city that honour their culture. As your attendees gain a better understanding of Indigenous people and their communities, teams will also learn to build effective, positive relationships with each other.
Patrick Hunter’s Grand Feather workshop teaches painting techniques, the importance of the arts for mental health, and the history and spiritual significance of Woodland Art to Indigenous peoples
Who: Try a paint workshop with 2-Spirit artist and graphic designer, Patrick Hunter, who specializes in fine and digital artwork and designs that celebrate his Ojibway roots.
Why: Hunter is renowned for his Woodland Art-style paintings—a distinctive art form that sees beyond the exterior, depicting the spirit through an internal view. He is also known for his collaborations with multinational organizations, including RBC, CTV and Global Affairs Canada, and he is artist in residence to the Prince’s Trust Canada.
Recommended Workshop: Hunter’s Grand Feather workshop, available virtually or in-person, teaches not only fundamental painting techniques, but the importance of the arts for mental health and healing, as well as the history and spiritual significance of Woodland Art to Indigenous peoples. He focuses on the seven grandfather teachings—guiding principles that have been passed down through stories and ceremonies—and how they apply to our daily lives.
Try Group Glass Blowing and Hot-Glass Sculpting
Glassblowing may be an ancient art, but learning how to create original glass sculpture is a novel way for groups to ignite creativity and revitalize productivity.
Minna Koistinen’s Playing With Fire studio is located at Artscape Wychwood Barns, a century-old streetcar repair facility turned multi-use hub for community activities.
Who: The team at Playing With Fire, including founder and world-renowned Finnish-born glass artist, Minna Koistinen, will guide participants through fun and engaging workshops in blown glass and hot glass sculpting, while teaching them the many aspects of the art form.
Why: Koistinen has been teaching fine art glassblowing since 2001. Her own stunning works can be found in galleries and museums across Canada, the U.S. and Finland, and in 2020, she was commissioned to create the award for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her Playing With Fire studio is located at Artscape Wychwood Barns—a century-old streetcar repair facility turned multi-use hub for arts, events, culture, farmers’ markets, theatre, urban agriculture and community activities.
Recommended Workshop: According to Koistinen, tumblers, vases, suncatchers and glass ball workshops are among the most popular, and all are suitable for beginners.
Shape Clay Creations Together
Pottery, made of clay and hardened with heat, is one of the oldest and most widespread human inventions. A pottery-making workshop can bring your team together and inspire ingenuity.
The Pottery’s professional potters can guide teams through hand-building clay projects
Who: The Pottery owner and operator, Paul Stewart, divides his time between creating functional and decorative pottery and custom pieces, teaching and running a variety of workshops.
Why: Stewart has been potting for more than 35 years, producing pieces for interior designers and the film and television industry, and his work can be purchased online and from many Ontario galleries.
Recommended Workshop: Stewart’s corporate team-building workshops are a creative way to foster community and can be customized to your event. For larger groups, The Pottery’s professional potters can guide teams through hand-building clay projects, and small groups of up to eight can gather in the studio for a wheel throwing workshop.