In June of this year the Avenue Road Arts School will have completed 10 years of operation. When it opened its doors in September of 1993, 200 students enrolled for classes. This seemed like a good number to Lola Rasminsky who started an integrated arts program for preschoolers in the basement of her home in 1979 with only six children. But this was not a number that could support the operation on Avenue Road and the viability of the school was in question for many years. In the last couple of years the school has become home to more than 1,000 students and it looks like it's here to stay.

Lola had a long-held dream of creating an environment where people of all ages would experience the joy of creating in a friendly, supportive and non-institutional environment – one that duplicated the feeling of her home where she had housed children's classes for fourteen years. She was most insistent on having only the highest quality of teaching and has always been vigilant about interviewing as many potential teachers as it would take to find the best one for the job.

The scope of the school's activities has expanded consi-derably over the past couple of years and it is now recognized as a leader in arts education. Public awareness of the school has grown with the installation of large-scale public art shows at such places as the BCE Place Atrium, the CBC building, Metro Hall and Harbourfront. Our instructors were commissioned by Kids Can Press to create a Jumbo Book of Art projects. Written and illustrated by instructor, Irene Luxbacher, it will be released this fall. Other innovative programs established by the school, include Beyond the Box™, which uses hands-on art, drama and music experiences to allow corporate executives to recognize their own creativity. As well, a teacher training program offering courses for which teachers can receive Professional Learning Program credits has been established through the Ontario College of Teachers.

To mark our 10th anniversary, we are planning a family celebration on Sunday October 19th at the Academy of Spherical Arts. The day promises to be entertaining and exciting with activities ranging from performances by some of our music and drama classes to artists doing celebrity portraits. Andy Barrie from CBC Radio will be the MC and all funds raised from the silent auction and ticket/raffle sales will be donated to Arts for Children of Toronto. Tickets go on sale on Sunday June 8 at Art Discovery Day. We hope that you will all help us celebrate!

 

Calling All Volunteers

We need volunteers to help us with our 10th Anniversary Celebration. Committees include:

Sponsorship Raffle Prizes Silent Auction Decorations Event Volunteers

If you would like to serve on a volunteer committee, please contact Lola Rasminsky at 416-961-1502, ext. 601.

Art School Hosts In-House Exhibits

Gallery Event
The event features works created by our Adult Students. Family and friends are welcome. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free.

Saturday, March 29, 6-8 pm & Sunday, March 30, 2-4 pm.

Art Shows
April 7-May 2 – Drawing & Painting
Featuring works by young art students.
Opening Reception: April 11, 7-9 pm

May 5-30 – Photography
Featuring works by adult students.
Opening Reception: May 9, 7-9 pm

All shows are curated by Sally Frater. Admission is free.

From Actor to Administrator

Liana Del Mastro Vicente, Associate Director, started her career as an actor/instructor, having graduated from the Drama Program at the University of Toronto. She performed professionally in theatrical productions in Germany, Italy and Canada. She has taught drama and clowning/Commedia dell'Arte to children and adults at schools throughout the city. As well, Liana toured numerous public and Catholic schools in Ontario with an educational theatre company, performing and conducting workshops for children.

With her love of teaching ever growing, Liana took a trip to the Faculty of Education to gather information on becoming a teacher. While there, she noticed an ad for a teaching position at the Avenue Road Arts School, as it was about to open its doors in 1993. "I was so excited to see a posting looking for artists/actors to teach at a school totally dedicated to exploring the arts. I decided to put acting aside, for a while, to further explore the excitement of teaching the arts."

The only position available at the School was as a teaching assistant in the Fine Arts Kindergarten. Liana soon became a Junior Kindergarten and Nursery teacher. A couple of years later she took on the responsibility of coordinating the school's Preschool Program, as well as teaching drama classes in the After School Arts Club.

So why would an actor and teacher want to take over the administration of the school? Having grown up in a family that always had their own businesses, Liana felt that running an operation came naturally to her. When she took over as Associate Director of the Arts School in 1997, the school was a friendly, well-meaning but somewhat chaotic enterprise. Under her leadership it has become a smooth running, efficient, yet still friendly place.

While handling the marketing, advertising, program coordinating and public relations for the school, Liana certainly has her hands full. Yet she constantly strives to move the school forward. She would like to see the school expand all its arts programming, especially its performing arts classes: more drama courses, as well as dance and music programs.

Liana doesn't ever feel that the workload is daunting because, "when you truly believe in the work that you're doing, you just don't mind taking more on."

Summer 2003

Registration for summer camps and classes for kids, teens and adults is now underway and spaces are filling up fast.