DC students lend a hand to aspiring artists

The store front of The LivingRoom Community Art Studio on Simcoe Street in downtown Oshawa.

A downtown Oshawa studio is trying to introduce art to as many people as possible. The LivingRoom Community Art Studio is located at 149 Simcoe St. S. The vision of the studio? To encourage everyone to embrace their inner artists, says Mary Krohnert, the LivingRoom’s founder.

The studio offers Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) Workshops, with a recommended donation of $10.

These workshops were designed to learn and share skills. The workshops are run by community members and volunteers.

Krohnert says the workshops are designed to allow aspiring artists to socialize and become part of the community.

“They can be anything. One of the things we love most about our workshops is that they are generally community-led. We’re really big supporters of the ‘each one, teach one’ movement,” Krohnert says. “The idea that the skills and resources one has, where they may not see much value, when shared with another person will benefit them [the other person] enormously.”

That’s where Durham College’s fine arts third-year students come in.

The students are required to volunteer for the LivingRoom for their Community Collaboration course.

Toni McMullen, a student in the Fine Arts – Advanced program, says her experience connected her to the community through her art.

“Every year, the third years have to work with the LivingRoom, we do multiple workshops, we’re there almost every week. They [the workshops] really do help with community outreach though, it’s not so much art and doing art, as it is art therapy,” she says.

“[It’s] a collection of community and not having to go out of your way to buy things to be able to create, vent and have a safe spot.”

Krohnert says the students started to volunteer at the studio when the professor of the Community Collaboration course realized there was no real integration of students in projects off the school campus.

“We decided that we were going to partner and the class would come and use this space as a living classroom. Students are learning about community collaboration and community outreach through the arts,” Krohnert says, “[while] actually in the community with people that projects like that would benefit. It’s a very dynamic experience.”

The LivingRoom is a safe spot, specifically for marginalized groups in Durham Region. The studio’s website notes its mission is to promote self-identities, create relationships and inspire community through an inclusive, safe place for others to create art and socialize.

“We just talk, we talk to people…we welcome people to the studio, if it’s their first time, we give them a rundown of the safe space policy, which in a nutshell is, we ask everyone to be supportive of one another, encouraging, respectful, negotiate consent, so when in doubt, ask,” Krohnert adds.

McMullen notes the PWYC workshops are beneficial for the community and the economic struggle some face.

“A lot of the people who come to the LivingRoom can’t afford art workshops. They don’t have the money to be able do this and because of donations and the way that they work with the community, really brings everybody out,” McMullen says. “Everybody can participate, explore and be in a safe space, that’s what it’s really for.”