2026 ATA - Valuing Visual Art: The Heartbeat of Our Province

This session is only for members of the ATA Executive and Planning team to attend to tasks during the conference.

This session is only for members of the ATA Executive and Planning team to attend to tasks during the conference.

This hands-on workshop introduces educators to foundational hand-sewing and textile art practices as tools for fostering creativity, community, and critical discussion in the classroom. Beginning with the creation of a practical hand-sewn sewing kit, participants learn essential sewing techniques alongside adaptable teaching strategies that support material literacy, fine motor development, problem-solving, and conversations about care, labour, gender, and craft traditions. The workshop then expands into a collaborative memory quilt project, exploring how quilting, embroidery, appliqué, and other textile techniques can be used to document shared experiences and build collective narratives. Through presentations, demonstrations, and making activities, participants gain practical skills, pedagogical frameworks, and classroom-ready resources for integrating accessible, low-cost textile projects into diverse learning environments. By the end of the workshop, participants will have completed a sewing kit, contributed to a collective quilt, and developed strategies for using textile arts to support meaningful, community-centered learning. Presenter: Mailey Horner Mailey Horner is an MFA candidate at NSCAD University who works in sculpture, installation, and textiles.

Learn the teachings of living a balanced lifestyle that includes your Spiritual, Environmental, Physical and Mental well-being. The session ends with crafting a medicine wheel to take home. Presenter: Theresa Meuse Theresa Meuse was raised in L’sitkuk (Bear River) Mi’kmaw community. As a single mom with two daughters, she left in 1986 to attend Dalhousie University as a mature student. Since graduating with a Bachelor Degree, she has been employed with several Mi’kmaq organizations including, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, The Atlantic Policy Congress and the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Center. Along with being privileged to serve a two-year term as Chief in her community, Theresa has spent many years working as an Indigenous Educator & Advisor, and continues to be a “Knowledge Sharer”. She operates an online craft business called “Mi’kma’ki Craft Supplies” and is the author of five published children’s books. She is a wife, mother of three and grandmother of four.

Wool appliqué is a decorative needlework technique where shapes cut from felted wool are stitched onto a background fabric to create designs. I will create a design for a small sampler which can be done in the time allotted. Presenter: Janice Boiduk The artistic world has been in my life always, a practicing artist in many mediums, fibre art, painting, photography and graphic design. And in these genders I have been awarded for my skills in creating my art, writing about art and speaking/teaching about the art I produce. My formal school of education was NSCAD. I presently live in Brookdale, Nova Scotia with my husband Jim, who shares my love of art and its history.

A deep dive into learning how to hook a piece along with design, pattern and finishing tips that will allow participants to explore on their own after finishing the session. Presenter: Angela Davis I have spent much of my life exploring various media, materials and techniques. My path has taken me into the world of design, sculpture, painting, pottery, and textile art. I have discovered that the pieces I love creating the most always involve an element of texture. My wish is for my creations to speak; to evoke emotion. For me, art is always about possibilities. I want to bring viewers into a space in time where childhood fascination prompts the urge to explore. We are tactile beings; colour and texture will always be an intrinsic part of who we are. Sharing the limitless possibilities that rug hooking provides is a special love that I enjoy thoroughly.

Collagraph is a cost-effective printmaking method that can engage students from elementary to high school. By creating marks directly on cardstock, cutting and glueing together, students can create unique plates to print multiple times. This workshop focuses on the practical skills of plate making and inking within a classroom environment. We will provide examples and introduce alternative printmaking methods before moving into a hands-on afternoon session. This dedicated studio time will allow you to focus entirely on your own printmaking project and explore how to integrate these techniques into various subjects. Presenter: Shan Liu Halifax based art teacher, printmaker and illustrator.

A beginner friendly, previous experience okay too, easy, short, theoretical and practical introduction to several areas of the filmmaking process, including: screenwriting, storyboard creation, shooting with smartphones and other amateur-friendly equipment, directing, and the basics of editing. Participants will need to bring: 
1) something to write on/ handwritten/ take notes 
2) A computer/laptop/iPad, if they have one 
3) We will be using free software: Celtx and Canva. If possible, participants should create an account on both prior to save class time.
4) A camera (could be casual like a phone's camera or a professional camera is okay too) 
5) Objects they would like to record (For example a puppet, a costume, a letter, collage, etc. Ideally nothing too heavy/ that is lightweight) 
6) Optional: Lights (Lamps, flashlights, etc.)

Zyanya Barbara Juarez Arellano Zyanya Barbara is an award-winning film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, oil painter, animator and poet. Her film work has been selected for multiple film festivals in Canada and Mexico, and her paintings are exhibited in a variety of art galleries in North America. She has a BFA in Fine Arts with a Film major from NSCAD University and returned for her MFA Fall 2025.

This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the art of 2-D needle felting, a fibre-based technique often described as “painting with wool.” Through demonstrations, guided practice, and individual exploration, participants will learn foundational needle felting skills, including layering and blending wool fibres, creating texture, and building imagery through colour and composition. Designed to be accessible for all experience levels, the workshop requires no prior knowledge of fibre arts or art theory. Participants will create a 5 × 7 framed needle-felted artwork inspired by landscapes, animals, florals, or personal imagery, while gaining the skills and confidence to continue exploring the medium independently or adapt it for classroom use. By the end of the session, each participant will leave with a completed artwork, a set of tools and materials, and a practical introduction to this versatile and engaging textile art form. Presenter: Rebecca Engram I am a high school Biology teacher with 19 years of teaching experience and a strong commitment to creativity, hands-on learning, and community building through the arts. Although my artistic background is largely self-directed, I have developed skills in painting and fibre arts through years of independent practice. In 2023, I discovered 2-D needle felting and was immediately drawn to its unique process of “painting with wool.” Since then, needle felting has become both a personal creative practice and an educational tool. I have introduced fibre arts to my school community through initiatives such as “Felting Fridays” and encourage students to use needle felting as a medium for creative expression and demonstrating learning. Alongside my work in education, I facilitate workshops that introduce participants to the creative possibilities of needle felting in an accessible and supportive environment.

Transform the flat page into a three-dimensional learning tool! This hands-on workshop is designed for educators looking to integrate sculptural thinking and kinetic art into their daily practice. Whether you teach Fine Arts, Literacy, Science, or Social Studies, pop-up mechanisms offer a unique way for students to visualize information and tell stories. As an art specialist with experience ranging from elementary to high school, I will guide you through the fundamental "building blocks" of paper engineering. We will move from basic folds to more complex structures, ensuring you leave with a library of physical prototypes to show and build with your students. Presenter: Patti Nicholson Hi! I’m an art teacher in HRCE with a passion for all things creative. Before teaching high school, I worked as an elementary art specialist and led youth programs at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. When I’m not in the classroom, I’m a "maker of many things." My background covers everything from sculpture and jewelry making to printmaking, painting, and drawing. My favorite part of being a teacher is helping you find your own creative outlet. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or "can't draw a stick figure," I’m here to help you think outside the box and find creative solutions to any challenge!

Shelley will provide everything you need and guide you through the needle felting process as you create a personal piece of 2-D art. You are encouraged to bring a photo of a favourite place for inspiration (seascape or landscape work well), or you can use one of the provided samples for inspiration. Suitable for beginners and those wanting to continue developing their needle felting skills. All materials provided. Presenter: Shelley King Shelley is an explorer when it comes to art and creativity. She loves to experiment with different materials and approaches. While painting with wool (2-D needle felting) is her primary medium, she also enjoys wet felting, multi-media collage, digital drawing, and acrylic and watercolour painting. She is particularly drawn to the sea, rural landscapes and historic sites as subjects for her art. Experimenting, re-purposing a found piece, and calling on personal explorations are sources of joy in her creative process. She also enjoys sharing her passion while introducing others to the wonderful world of ‘painting with wool’ through needle felting workshops. Her art is available for viewing and purchase at Maker’s Studio and Art Market in Windsor, NS, at several local gift shops, and on Instagram/Facebook @ShelleyKingCreative.

This is an open space for art educators who have ideas they would like to explore independently in a shared studio space. Some art supplies will be available for your use, including basic drawing, painting, and some printmaking materials. Please bring anything special you might need outside of those items with you. This is an opportunity to sit and focus on your own art practice, share a creative space with other art educators, or learn something new you have been meaning to try in a self-directed approach. Presenters: Karyn Harrison and Robin Jensen Karyn Harrison is a visual arts educator and researcher residing in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. She holds a doctorate from the University of Glasgow. Karyn teaches grades 7-9 Visual Arts in HRCE using a Choice-Based Pedagogy. She also instructs in the Master of Arts in Art Education program at NSCAD University. Robin Jensen is an art educator with over 25 years of experience teaching in the public schools of Nova Scotia. She finds her inspiration amidst the dreamers, doodlers and disrupters of education systems.

This workshop is geared towards ELEMENTARY teachers interested in bringing more arts to the classroom but have no prior knowledge, or little to no budget or supplies. This workshop will guide teachers in directions of economic resources available to them, how to use simple inexpensive tools, making their own tools and materials, organizing art materials in a classroom (with no sink), how to repurpose and reuse everyday items, and other tips, tricks and tools of the trade. There will be hands-on activities, art pieces produced, lesson plans provided and other resources to take home. Presenter: Lynn Coolen Lynn is from Cole Harbour NS and has been teaching with HRCE since 1996. After twenty years of elementary classroom teaching she began working for Halifax Regional Arts in 1996 as a Fine Arts Specialist for grades P-12. Lynn considers herself a “Jack of all trades but master of none” as she enjoys sharing her various artistic interests with the students and teachers she works with. Watercolour painting, felting, metal embossing, screen printing, sculpture, and folk art are just a few of the many art mediums and experiences she brings to classrooms.

In this workshop, you will carve your very own wooden spoon from one of several provided hardwood spoon "blanks" using traditional spoon carving knives and gouges. We will cover safe knife handling and carving techniques, design and drafting approaches, and many other details while exploring the fun and satisfying art of carving. Presenter: Dallas Hendricks I love creating items and solutions to everyday problems that have as much purpose as they do beauty. I am the proud father of a 6 year old, enjoy cooking at home, and even more so when camping. I grew up in Victoria, BC, lived and worked in a multitude of places, and have thoroughly enjoyed calling Dartmouth home since early 2024. Professionally, I recently opened a workshop shop in downtown Dartmouth to create a relaxing and inviting space for locals to come and learn new skills and creative ideas while having fun and building meaningful connections with others in their community. We have after-school classes for kids and workshops for adults of all ages to try their hands at something new by crafting different projects. I also design and build custom furniture, fixtures and other projects for local organizations and individuals.

Embroidery and slow-stitching are exciting ways to explore many aspects of art and design. However, they have also been found to be incredibly restorative and offer mental health and stress reduction benefits that we all need in this day and age. Join me to learn beginner embroidery and surface design techniques in a fun, relaxed setting. I will provide an overview of the basic tools and supplies required for embroidery, and you will learn a selection of the most useful surface embroidery stitches. In addition, we will discuss how to create and transfer your own embroidery designs and how to utilise embroidery in different ways (including visible mending and using repurposed materials). All tools and materials are provided in a kit that you can take home to continue your explorations in stitching. With over two decades of experience bringing fibre arts to Nova Scotia classrooms, I have a wide range of techniques to share in order to make this art form accessible and enjoyable for students of all ages. You will leave with a small stitched project and a wealth of knowledge and resources for incorporating stitching and embroidery into your classroom.

Linnet Finley is a community-engaged fibre artist, educator, and mother living and working in the North End of Kjipuktuk/Halifax, NS. With a keen sense of colour, Linnet produces vibrant and engaging artworks executed with a practised skill that honours the long tradition of textile and embroidery craft. A self-taught artist, she has over 20 years of experience honing her craft, and the act of “making” has always been an integral part of her life. Linnet’s art practice aims to foster community by creating connections. Much of this work uses stitching and embroidery as an approachable and comfortable vehicle to tackle more complex questions, drawing the community into meaningful conversations. Recently, through this work, Linnet has been exploring map-making, specifically ideas of localism, portrayals of community, and the practice of counter-mapping (mapping working against dominant power structures). Her studio practice also explores themes of resilience, healing, and living with chronic illness. She is strongly influenced by the natural world and the marks we make upon it and strives to incorporate sustainable approaches to making into her work.  Additionally, Linnet has operated Linnet Bird Designs since 2010. She offers patient, joyful, empowering classes for those who want to develop their own sewing and handwork practice.

This hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop explores how food memories and everyday cultural experiences can be transformed into visual narratives through picture book creation. Participants will learn basic picture book storytelling concepts—including composition, page layout, visual sequencing, and text-image relationships—while experimenting with watercolor, drawing, collage, and mixed-media techniques to create a food-themed picture book spread or mini accordion book. Through guided brainstorming and creative exercises, participants will develop simple narratives based on personal food memories and translate emotions and experiences into visual forms. Suitable for educators, artists, and anyone interested in storytelling through visual art, the workshop also includes an introduction to basic watercolor and mixed-media materials and techniques, along with templates and creative prompts that can be adapted for classroom and community art projects. Presenter: Yawen Zhou Yawen Zhou is a painter, children’s picturebook author-illustrator, and master’s candidate in Art Education at NSCAD University in Halifax, Canada. Originally from China, she has over a decade of experience creating and publishing picturebooks for young readers. Her works have received several awards and have appeared in literary columns, children’s magazines, and international exhibitions, including Children’s Books from China, which toured countries such as Germany, Italy, and the United States. Her books are also held in public library collections internationally, including in Canada. Her research explores picture books, family reading practices, cultural identity in cross-cultural contexts, and autobiographical inquiry.

Garden snails are small, slow creatures whose range is limited by how far their bodies can carry them. What if, with a little ingenuity, they could harness the wind as a means to travel further than they could ever imagine? In this session you'll be working with simple sewing patterns in order to assemble and hand stitch a "sailing snail" out of wool felt. Presenter: Rita Van Tassel Rita Van Tassel (BFA, BEd) has been teaching art and craft for over 20 years in Nova Scotia in both the public and private sectors. Her line of instructional hand sewing kits have been selling across Canada since 2018.

All art is problem solving. Math, whether we know it or not, is always involved in making art. Participants can expect to see a number of maker stations including several types of print making, marbling paper, colour mixing, paper folding, geometric drawing, illuminated letters and painting and drawing in many ways. We will focus on making collages, large and small, that include the use of circles and arcs. Yes, we will talk about the math variables we have in our hands, our tools, our problem solving and our results. We can even talk about math outcomes but you will probably be having too much fun. It will be impossible to get a wrong answer and very probable that you will get surprising results. Practical and impractical classroom extensions will be discussed. Presenter: Paul Carreiro I am a mostly retired teacher with decades of experience teaching math, art, science and special education at different levels. I have a long interest in the ways in which math, art and science compliment each other and helped organize the Bridges Math and Art Conference in Halifax in 2024. I like to experiment with many forms of artmaking like weaving, printmaking, watercolour painting and drawing. However, my latest passions are carving, laser cutting, architectural watercolour and making art using natural materials.

The Jipijka'm workshop is a collaborative space of creation, reflection, and shared storytelling. Centered around a large Jipijka'm installation (attaches to wall), participants are invited to embroider onto felt using colours, symbols, and designs that reflect their stories, teachings, memories, and connections to community and land. Each embroidered piece is carefully added to the Jipijka'm, allowing the work to grow collectively over the course of the gathering. As more pieces are added, the Jipijka'm becomes a living tapestry of many voices carrying spirit, relationship, creativity, and cultural expression through simple thread and felt. The workshop encourages connection across generations while honouring the importance of our own stories, of sharing, and of creating together by hand. Presenter: Diane Langevin Diane Langevin (BA, NSCAD 2021; MAED, NSCAD 2025) is an art educator and member of Millbrook First Nation. Raised in Spryfield, Nova Scotia, she creates work that explores Mi’kmaq cultural resurgence, identity, and the recovery of knowledge disrupted by colonialism. Working across textiles, soft sculpture, and art education, Langevin makes culturally grounded objects that invite connection, learning, and shared remembrance.

The Ctrl + Art + Delete workshop will take place on computers or Chromebooks. Participants will be provided multiple ready-to-use lessons on a google classroom and have time to work through them together. All lessons will be Chromebook-friendly. Some of the topics to be covered are virtual galleries, beginner graphic design/video editing/animation, copyright and ethics. Some programs to be used are Google Apps, Canva and CapCut. This workshop would be best for teachers of students in late elementary or junior high but all teachers are welcome and lessons could be applied to any grade. Presenter: Meaghan LeMoine Meaghan is a fine arts and tech teacher with 14 years of teaching experience. She has taught in both public and private schools ranging from grades 6-12. When not teaching, she can be found cuddling her 16yo chihuahua in bed watching tiktoks.

Perhaps you teach painting and want to try a kind of paint that is vibrant, but less messy. Or perhaps you just want to have a hands-on day to learn the basics of colour theory, mixing, layering, and intensity control. Or you would like to learn how to use colour to express emotion. All of that, plus general art teaching tips and a watercolour painting kit for you to take home! Presenter: Dave taught high school art at Sackville and Citadel for 20-something years. Newly retired, Dave now spends his time making things, finally organizing that stuff, and apparently, writing short autobiographies. 

Join contemporary artist Yuting Song (MFA) for an immersive 4-hour workshop that reimagines traditional ink painting as a dynamic, embodied practice. Through a live action painting demonstration, somatic movement exercises, and hands-on experimentation with Xuan paper, participants will explore the interplay of control and chance, working with the natural forces of water, gravity, and breath to create expressive ink compositions. Emphasizing process, movement, and the beauty of imperfection over technical precision, the workshop encourages participants to develop a personal visual language through gesture and mark-making. Suitable for all experience levels, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to experience ink painting as a physical and transformative art form. Presenter: Yuting Song Yuting Song is a contemporary feminist visual artist and educator whose practice centers on the body through ink and wash painting on Xuan paper. Working primarily with large-scale, physically engaged processes, she approaches painting as an embodied act in which perception, memory, breath, and movement are translated into fluid visual language. Bridging the tradition of Chinese ink painting with contemporary feminist discourse and theories of embodied cognition, her work explores the relationship between body, material, and environment. Moving between control and chance, she allows water, gravity, and time to actively participate in the formation of each image. In workshops and live demonstrations, Song invites participants into an immersive process of bodily awareness and material exploration. Through gesture, ink flow, and expansive paper surfaces, participants are encouraged to engage with intuition, vulnerability, and the creative possibilities of transformation and renewal.

Lithography, by its very nature, inspires curiosity, collaboration, invention, and discovery. A poetic and multi-step process with roots in necessity infused with the wonder of chemistry; artists have adapted and played within this medium for 230 years. This workshop is for you if you’re interested in immersing yourself in drawing, creating multiples, and bringing simple materials and ideas back to the artists in your classrooms. Let’s see what happens when grease, water, and ink meet tinfoil, cola, and enthusiastic engagement! Designed especially for artists, art specialists, or teachers grade 6 through 12 with students who enjoy inquiry-based learning and problem-solving! No prior print experience necessary, only a willingness to throw on an apron and dive in. (Allergy note: we will use unscented dish soap, water-miscible, oil-based printmaking ink, cola.) Presenter: Melissa K Marr Melissa Marr is the current Art Education Specialist at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, a co-founder of Wonder’neath Art Society, and an artist working in experimental printmaking and drawing, and sometimes in collaborations that result in dynamic participatory performances. A passionate art educator, Melissa loves to radically simplify art methods and explore classroom possibilities with students and teachers. She has over two decades of experience in community-based teaching, classroom collaborations, curriculum development, mentorship, and designing PD for teachers in the Atlantic region.

Discover the versatility of cardboard as a powerful material for student creativity! In this workshop we’ll explore the creative possibilities of cardboard as a sculptural and structural material. We'll discuss construction techniques, tools, and classroom management strategies for when the knives and glue guns come out. You will be provided with many ideas that can be adapted to different grade levels, and while also making a detailed cardboard sculpture of your own throughout the day. Presenter: Kaitlin Chisholm Kaitlin has spent the past eleven years mastering the chaos that is junior high visual arts in Halifax County. She has also shared her art teaching skills with Halifax Recreation and the Confederation Center Art Gallery. When she's not threading her students' needles and untangling knots of yarn, you can find her at home in Musquodoboit Harbour, where lives with her husband and their two dachshunds.

In this workshop, we will create needle-lace doilies - with rope! We will explore how we can use a single material and only our hands to create large-scale pieces with big impact. We'll look at a few different types of knots and the practicalities of working big. We'll also take some time to look at related contemporary artworks, applications the science and engineering, fishing and lace-making histories, so you can make broader connections to knowledge outside the art classroom. Presenter: Andrea Tsang Jackson Andrea Tsang Jackson is a textile artist and quilt designer. After working in various design fields and settings ranging from architecture to museums, the quilting medium called to her as a way to explore place, belonging, and agency. She holds a Master of Architecture from McGill University and a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Andrea’s first book, Patchwork Lab: Gemology, was published by Lucky Spool in 2019 and her newest book, Quilting: A Modern Creative Journey through an Age-Old Craft, published with Nine Ten Publications, explores aspects of creative practice specifically for quilt makers. She has worked on multiple public art projects in Halifax and Ottawa. Her quilting work is also held in private and public collections in Canada, the USA, and Europe. Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Andrea has called Nova Scotia home for over a decade. She lives in Kjipuktuk / Halifax with her husband and two sons.

We will be creating cyanotype images, using the oldest known photographic process. Presenter: Ingram Barss I grew up in a house with a darkroom in it, and became interested in the image making process at an early age. I've spent the majority of my adult life working as a freelance photographer, and have taught in the Professional Photography program at NSCC since 2007. I have always been, and still am fascinated the photographic process, in all of its forms, as well as it's history.

In this workshop we will explore a variety of hand building techniques. The morning portion will be spent building and sculpting clay creations, while the afternoon will be used to apply colour using slips and underglazes. The work will be bisque fired and then glazed by the instructor. All work will be boxed up and ready for pick up by the first week of December. Participants will need to make arrangements to pick up their work from the instructor's studio located in Waverley NS. Presenter: Devon Vankoughnett Devon Vankoughnett studied ceramics at both Langara in Vancouver and at NSCAD in Halifax. She currently works for Halifax Regional Arts and runs her own Ceramics studio from her home in Waverley. Much of her work centres around memories and connections with family, cultural heritage and places she has lived. Her mother was born in Jamshedpur India and her Father is a member of the Oneida band in London Ontario. The patterns and motifs in her work are derived from both her Anglo Indian and Oneida background.

Teaching requires educators to hold space for learning, creativity, emotional needs, and community-building, often while navigating significant stress and competing demands. This experiential workshop introduces participants to art as a therapeutic and reflective practice that can support personal well-being, resilience, and sustainable care. Through a series of accessible art-making activities, participants will explore creativity as a tool for self-reflection, stress reduction, emotional awareness, and connection. No artistic skill or previous art therapy experience is required. The emphasis is on process rather than artistic outcome. Participants will leave with practical arts-based wellness strategies that can support their own well-being and inspire classroom adaptations that foster creativity, reflection, and community.

Kawama Kasutu-Mulenga, Art therapist graduate, seasoned arts facilitator, and artist based in Kjipuktuk / Halifax. My practice is rooted in trauma-informed, person-centered, and client led approaches, shaped by decolonial frameworks and a deep respect for community knowledge, lived experience, and cultural identity. I am on the edge of becoming. My passion for art therapy has been deeply shaped by my communities, creativity, and care. My work is about meeting people where they are, honoring their stories, and creating space for expression without pressure. Deeply grateful to Halifax Arts and the communities that continue to grow me. Committed to showing up for Black, Indigenous and Immigrant communities, and nurturing people through art. Within my practice advocacy is community care.

Participants will learn techniques for using hands-on, traditional art media like drawing and sculpture to produce interactive, digital art projects that can be easily shared and experienced through a web browser.

Participants will make puppets out of clay and wire, and photograph them in various poses on a green background, then create animations using a website developed by the presenter and create interactive narratives using those characters. 

Jonathan Carroll is a multidisciplinary artist working in interactive media, music, and performance art, exploring labour, technology, and play through small-scale social histories. Currently developing a digital, site specific project on illness linked to industrial waste in Cape Breton. Collaborative practice includes co-creation with artists, audience participation, and teaching creative digital technologies. Exhibited at Venice Architecture Biennale, AGO, and more. OCAD alum; co-founded Tough Guy Mountain and SpekWork Studio.

In this hands-on workshop, you will explore the intersection of local identity and visual art through the rhythmic and tactile process of printmaking. This session focuses on the discovery of pattern and the structural exploration of natural, cultural, and regional symbols. Using easy-to-carve rubber blocks and fabric inks, you will design and carve custom stamps that represent the "heartbeat" of our province—from regional landmarks to the natural flora and fauna that define our local landscapes. Presenter: Steven Rolls Steven is a Cape Breton artist whose work is rooted in nature, tradition, and a deep connection to place. After spending much of his early life focused on detailed and structured artwork, he stepped away from the canvas before rediscovering creativity through the freedom of dip pen and ink. This approach allowed him to trust instinct, simplify his process, and create expressive pieces that capture emotion, movement, and memory in a single flowing stroke. Today, his creative work extends beyond visual art pieces to include natural and experiential works that invite participants to step into the landscape and discover their own creativity. Inspired by Cape Breton’s forests, coastal shores, and communities, his work blends art, nature, and storytelling, creating experiences that encourage reflection, connection, and a deeper appreciation for the creative spirit found in the natural world.

Eco-friendly Jewelry: A way to save our Planet with your creativity is a workshop designed to teach educators different ways to create new objects from waste paper, cardboard, and other plastics, transforming them into true works of art that children can wear while becoming aware of the amount of waste we throw away annually, giving it a new and creative use. This workshop shows us that with creativity, we can contribute to changing our world. Presenter: Paulina Osorio Ambriz With a master’s in visual arts and bachelor’s in design and visual communication, she studied at the Faculty of Arts and Design of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). For several years, she has dedicated herself to teaching art in Mexico, creating art projects to involve the academic community. In 2024, she presented “My presence is with you,” a video for the Lumiere Art and Night Festival on Cape Breton Island, a piece that aims to collect expressions of affection within a community that has a diversity of languages, cultures, and ways of expressing love and care through words. She is the author of the mural at the Anchor Youth project at the New Dawn building, a piece that reflects Nova Scotia’s biodiversity and the community roots. Interested in textiles, painting and multimedia, she is continuously working throughout the island, making workshops, and her last exhibition, Sailing the Island, at Eltuek Art Centre is one example of her versatile work. She currently resides in Cape Breton and continues to work with various techniques and art forms.

Dive into needle felting! In this workshop, participants will learn the basics of 2-d needle felting. You will transform wool fibers into visual art or “wool paintings”. This session will cover skills like shaping, blending, and adding details and where to source materials locally. Take away a felted artwork to bring into your classroom. All materials provided. Presenter: Bailee Higgins Bailee Higgins is a visual artist and educator based in Sydney, NS. Bailee’s art practice focuses on painting and needlefelting, using layering and bright colors to create vibrant artworks inspired by the landscape. Bailee has teaching experience with students K-12 and adults.

In this workshop, you will learn what is needed to start with hand and brush lettering, the basics of letter formation, as well as how to embrace your own style. We will begin with the fundamentals, exploring two lettering styles which you will then use to create your own hand and brush lettering piece. Presenter: Jennifer Moss I am a self-taught illustrator/hand letterer from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I create original meaningful illustrations, often Cape Breton and East Coast inspired. My life-long love of drawing letters, strong connection with hiking and exploring my beloved island, and a need for a creative outlet sparked the founding of my small business, Jennifer Moss Creates, in 2018. Since retiring from teaching in 2022, this is how I enjoy spending my time and energy.

The best camera is the one you have with you all the time. In this workshop, we will explore what is required to make interesting and pleasing images with your mobile device. We will discuss framing, photographing people, landscapes and general photographic knowledge. Presenter: Chad Tobin Chad Tobin is (b. 1976) is a photographer living and working in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Canada and internationally. He is a founding member of the Hot Fog Collective, a group of East Coast artists specializing in project-based photography and documentary work.

As teachers we are busy teaching students but rarely have time to make something special for ourselves. In this workshop you will do just that! Using sterling silver, you will make a pendant that you can wear that day. You will learn to texture the metal, shape it , drill it, polish it to a fine finish & attach a sterling silver chain. You will use hand tools & equipment provided by the CBCCD. Come & enjoy this very hands-on project! Presenter: Lynda Lou MacIntyre Lynda Lou MacIntyre is a retired Art Teacher who currently teaches Jewellery making at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design. As an artisan, she loves to share her skills with others & delights in meeting new people by teaching workshops.

This workshop will focus on how to look at paper through the lens of collage making. Using magazines and fine art papers, participants will be inspired to look at papers as materials in themselves and explore the multitude of textures and colours that can be used to create a complex collage. Needing no more than paper, scissors and glue, this can be a very meditative art practice that you can do without needing many supplies or space. Presenter: Merrideth MacDonald Merrideth MacDonald is an artist working out of the Eltuek Arts Centre in Sydney, Unama'ki (Cape Breton Island). Her practice focuses on collage, primarily using magazine papers to create intricate pieces of work that are inspired by nature and the beauty that can be found in the natural world. Sometimes, she will incorporate mixed media into pieces and takes pleasure in giving objects a second chance to become art. Outside of their artistic practice, they work at the Cape Breton Centre of Craft and Design and volunteer at the SPCA.

In this immersive four-hour workshop, participants will explore introductory handbuilding techniques while creating symbolic clay sculptures inspired by personal narratives, ancient monumental forms, and visual storytelling traditions. Through reflective journalling, sketchbook exercises, and hands-on work with air-dry clay, participants will learn foundational sculptural methods including pinch construction, slab building, joining, texturing, and surface design. Guided by themes of memory, identity, protection, and symbolism, educators will create a small sculptural figure and talisman-inspired objects while exploring process-based approaches that foster creativity, mindfulness, and personal expression. Suitable for all experience levels, this workshop combines technical skill development with meaningful arts-based learning strategies that can be adapted for a wide range of classroom contexts. Presenter: Nancy Chiasson Nancy is a Cape Breton-based artist and educator who has lived and worked on the island since attending the Dundas Valley School of the Arts in the early 1990s. For more than 20 years, she has taught art classes from her studio while maintaining a diverse practice that spans both commercial and fine art. Her current mixed-media project, Subsurface: Perspective, Memory, and Deep Time, explores the relationship between human perception and geological time through the history of coal mining on Cape Breton Island, supported by the CBRM Creative Catalyst Program. Nancy’s work has received significant recognition, including the 2014 Grand Pré Prize from Arts Nova Scotia for her artist residency at the Fortress of Louisbourg. She has also completed major public commissions, such as Acadian Surfaces, a ceramic mural developed through research into Acadian history along the Shubenacadie Canal. Across her practice, Nancy draws inspiration from landscape, history, memory, and the passage of time.