A New Year – New Opportunities

January 1, 2015

A new year brings new opportunities. I’d like to take this one to announce the Pointe-St-Charles Art School’s blog. We’re calling it Pointe of View and it will be my point of view as well as that of others at the school: teachers, board members and students. Here you will find out about what is going on at the school – not just classes but events, exhibitions and community outreach.

Here too, you will find a personal voice, some story-telling from time to time and general thoughts on art, as well as news about the arts in our neighbourhood, greater Montreal and even farther afield.

Our school’s mandate is to provide arts programming and instruction, outreach and a forward thinking philosophy of what the arts have to offer to an evolving urban community in the 21st century. Underlying our vision is the sincere wish to promote community involvement in developing a rich and healthy cultural atmosphere and sustainable growth of creative endeavours that will last for 
many years to come.

What we very much want to do is recreate the concept of the original fine arts school in Montreal, to offer classes and workshops on drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and other mediums of visual arts to students of all ages, from all walks of life and levels of expertise.

As well, we are planning other programming:

• Establishing and operating an art gallery
• Exhibitions
• Workshops and speakers
• A fine art film club
• The establishment a visiting artist’s programme
• Free and subsidized art instruction for those who are financially disadvantaged within the community
• Art Therapy

The southwest sector of Montreal is at a crossroads as the gentrification process is affecting long established communities and neighbourhoods. Because of their heritage and their proximity to downtown Montreal, near the St Lawrence River and the historic Lachine Canal, as well as Old Montreal and the Old Port, they are seen as the ideal location for urban renewal and regeneration. It has now become clear from the examples of other sectors and cities that this kind of process can have positive or negative effects depending on the way it unfolds. The founders of the Pointe-St-Charles Art School feel that we will be amongst the strongest contributors to a healthy renewal of these communities, adding our voice to those wishing to make the transition successful in the sense of offering social and cultural benefits.

So please be in touch with us – take the opportunity to participate in  classes, attend events, make connections in the community, or just call or drop by to say hello.

We’re at 805 Hibernia at the corner of Coleraine. Our number is 514-935-7107, and you can email me at catherine@pointestcharlesartschool.ca

Happy New Year, and may it provide you many opportunities to exercise your creativity!

By Catherine Wells

Director, Pointe-St-Charles Art School