{"id":27224,"date":"2010-06-02T16:59:55","date_gmt":"2010-06-02T16:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artbridgesblog.ca\/?p=1182"},"modified":"2010-06-02T16:59:55","modified_gmt":"2010-06-02T16:59:55","slug":"profile-nina-haggerty-centre-for-the-arts-edmonton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artbridges.ca\/fr\/profile-nina-haggerty-centre-for-the-arts-edmonton\/","title":{"rendered":"Profile: Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (Edmonton)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"<\/a> The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts<\/a> is a non-profit community arts organization<\/span>, that was founded<\/span> in 2003.\u00a0\u00a0The centre, founded by Wendy Hollo, Curtis\u00a0Gillespie<\/span> and Paul Freeman began as a project of SKILLS Society, a local\u00a0agency that supports people with developmental disabilities.\u00a0\u00a0Wendy and Curtis has previously partnered to publish a book of life stories, including the story of Nina Haggerty.\u00a0 Nina and her sister Rita spent over five decades in an institution before finally realizing their dream to live together in a home in community, as they had as children.\u00a0 It was then, late in life, that Nina took her first art class, unleashing a passion and talent for art making that would mark the last decade of her life.\u00a0\u00a0Her story served as the inspiration <\/span>behind the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts.<\/div>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Nina loved to paint and showed great talent for it. She created many beautiful paintings that now hang proudly in the homes of friends and support staff. One can only imagine the contribution she would have been able to make in her lifetime had her gift been recognized and nurtured earlier. Three years after her death in 1999, the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts opened its doors. Her life underscores the great importance of providing people with developmental disabilities the chance to find creative outlets for expressing their experiences and emotions.\u00a0\u00bb (web)<\/p>\n

The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts provides<\/span> a studio experience where adults with\u00a0developmental disabilities can focus in a serious way on the creation of art and their own development as artists.\u00a0\u00a0For many of these emerging artists, it is the first time that they have been recognized for their talent and capacity, rather than their disability.\u00a0 Most artists who come to work in the studio live in group homes with paid supports or with their families.\u00a0 Some\u00a0require the assistance of support staff to attend.<\/p>\n

The philosophy <\/span>behind the centre is that everyone has the inherent right to engage in creative activity, and their mission supports that. As Paul expounded, art-making allows an individual to tell a new story about who they are. It gives them a new identity as an artist. The most important thing is to offer people the chance to see themselves in a new light, and develop their self-worth through art.\u00a0\u00a0The studio program is not intended as therapy, but a place where one can explore and development their interest in art to a new level.<\/div>\n
The objective<\/span> in the studio is to provide a place of freedom for\u00a0participants, allowing them\u00a0to explore their creativity on their own. Participants have \u00ab\u00a0genuinely beautiful work,\u00a0\u00bb and staff do not want to overly influence their style or their process.\u00a0\u00a0It is important for participants to feel like they have authority over their own work because they are often find themselves being\u00a0told what to do and how to do during the course of their day-to-day lives.\u00a0Their general mandate<\/span> is to say ‘yes’, for example,\u00a0\u00ab\u00a0more paper?\u00a0\u00bb yes, \u00ab\u00a0more supplies?\u00a0\u00bb, yes…<\/div>\n
Please see ArtBridges\u2019 Google Map <\/a>for contact information.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In order to work in the studio at the Nina Haggerty Centre, artists commit to regular attendance and pay a nominal membership fee<\/span>.\u00a0 They then become members of the Artists’ Collective and receive materials, a place to work, mentorship by paid professional artists and the opportunity to exhibit their art work.\u00a0\u00a0The more established artists in the Collective\u00a0are encouraged to pursue professional ways of making work by being more specific and attentive to quality.\u00a0 Exhibition of their work raises awareness with community and becomes a vehicle that can connect people on the basis of\u00a0common interest.<\/div>\n
Adults with developmental disabilities interested in checking out the Centre are provided a tour and invited to use the space for a number of weeks before membership is discussed.\u00a0\u00a0Those who chose to become members pay between $150 and $300 per year, based on the number of days each week that they commit to working in the studio.\u00a0For this population, living on fixed government support, the fee is\u00a0significant\u00a0and underscores their commitment.\u00a0 The fee helps offset the cost of art supplies.<\/div>\n
Artists have the opportunity<\/span> to work in various media, including\u00a0printmaking, dance, drawing, painting, digital, photography, ceramics, fibre, sewing and video.\u00a0\u00a0On International Dance Day, the Centre presented its first dance recital with the support of\u00a0local dance collective, Mile Zero\u00a0Dance.\u00a0\u00a0The Centre also offers free and low cost<\/span> family and community\u00a0art classes\u00a0that are\u00a0well attended. Since moving to its expanded new facility, the Centre has begun to offer\u00a0weekly art classes for those\u00a0struggling with addiction, as well as bi-weekly outreach to a child and family resource\u00a0centre in the community. New goals<\/span> include expansion of children’s programming and development fo a music program.<\/div>\n
The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts\u00a0operates an on-site public art gallery<\/span>, the Stollery Gallery, hosting regular exhibit openings, art receptions and special events.\u00a0 The Stollery Gallery strives to present work by artists who face barriers or who are under-represented in mainstream galleries.\u00a0 Guest artists exhibiting their work are encouraged to get involved with artists from the Collective, perhaps collaborating for exhibition or spending time in the studio as a mentor.\u00a0\u00a0Artists from the Collective have also\u00a0exhibited their work in other public galleries (St. Albert, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto) and even internationally.<\/div>\n
The Nina Haggerty Centre has collaborated<\/span> with many organizations, extending their partnerships beyond\u00a0art exhibitions.\u00a0 Currently, the Centre is partnering<\/span> with Canada World Youth and are\u00a0working with a Brazilian group near S\u00e3o Paolo who want to establish an art centre for people with developmental disabilities.<\/div>\n
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The studio\u00a0operates with no\u00a0full-time staff<\/span>, employing\u00a0a dedicated team of 6-8\u00a0part time professional artists, supported by a number of volunteers.\u00a0\u00a0There is also a part time Executive Director and Administrator.\u00a0\u00a0Recently, the Centre has been able to purchase its own building<\/span> in an inner city neighbourhood that has been undergoing significant transformation as a new arts\u00a0district in Edmonton.\u00a0\u00a0Despite appearances (the new building), the Centre continues to struggle month to month to cover operating expenses and are grateful to a number of very generous individuals and groups who have\u00a0helped to make ends meet with\u00a0grants and donations.<\/p>\n

The Centre’s challenge this year <\/span>has been to manage the transition to the\u00a0new building, and respond to the changing abilities and growing talents of the centre\u2019s Collective of artists. During the next few years, the major challenge will be to successfully execute a capital campaign to enable the Centre to complete the purchase of the facility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The catchment area<\/span> is Edmonton, however some participants commute from outside of the city. The language of service is English. The average number of participants<\/span> is 28 per day, 135 per month ; and\u00a0approximately 155\u00a0annually.\u00a0\u00a0The hours of operation<\/span> are M-F, 9:30-2:30.\u00a0 The annual budget<\/span> for the Centre is approximately $370,000.\u00a0 Almost 65% of annual operating costs are funded through government disability and arts grants.\u00a0 Another 25% is generated through fundraising and earned revenue with the balance covered by foundation and project grants.\u00a0 From its inception, the\u00a0fundraising MO has been very much an \u00ab\u00a0if you build it, they will come… and they will fund it!\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0\u00a0To date, that has worked surprisingly well.<\/p>\n

WISHLIST: Aside from needing a $2 million windfall to meet the capital goal, the Centre needs good art materials<\/span> – canvases, paper, brushes, acrylic paint.\u00a0 It is also interested in your time<\/span>, always looking for volunteers to come in to mentor in the studio once a week or as a one-off to come in as\u00a0\u00ab\u00a0artist in residence.\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0It can be an enriching place for an artist to volunteer their time.<\/div>\n
ArtBridges interview on April 1st, 2010\u00a0\u00a0with Paul Freeman.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts is a non-profit community arts organization, that was founded in 2003.\u00a0\u00a0The centre, founded by Wendy Hollo, Curtis\u00a0Gillespie and Paul Freeman began as a project of SKILLS Society, a local\u00a0agency that supports people with developmental disabilities.\u00a0\u00a0Wendy and Curtis has previously partnered to publish a<\/p>\n

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