Editorial

Creativity — more important than ever!

The recent flurry of press coverage of the Avenue Road Arts School and its charitable arm, Arts for Children of Toronto, was more intense than expected. At last count there were five articles in the space of three weeks in Toronto newspapers describing the school's activities. At the same time, Kids Can Press reports that the Jumbo Book of Art, a compilation of projects created by the school's faculty and written and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher, has become one of the biggest sellers of the year for the publisher. In its first two months, it sold over 5,000 copies.

Why this sudden recognition of the school and its programming? Naturally, much of the credit belongs to the school's outstanding faculty who are skilled and inspiring teachers, providing a great role model to their students, as professional artists in their own right.

There is also another explanation, best described in Richard Florida's seminal work — The Rise of the Creative Class, which has taken America by storm in the last year. In it he argues that we all have a deep-seated need to express our own unique individuality. He claims that it is the people who do creative work for a living who are, for the first time, becoming both the thought leaders and economic driving force in our society. He argues that today we value creativity more than ever and cultivate it more intensely, describing an ongoing sea-change in people's choices and attitudes which affects what they will consume and where they will want to live.

Our enrollment figures at the school certainly verify this trend. Many adult classes have waiting lists now — something that was hard to imagine a few short years ago. Parents are realizing the benefits to their children of participating in high quality art activities. If this marks the beginning of a real trend toward genuinely valuing creative activity, I believe we can look forward to the world being a better place for all of us to live in. Creative people, by definition, are curious, open, they build on ideas, and are always looking for new possible ways of doing things.

Lola Rasminsky, Director

Faculty Shows & Info

Instruction Zone, Collective Exhibition, with works by Lydia Panart, Laidlaw Hall, 2nd Floor, Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, November 14, 2003-January 11, 2004.

The Stable Bare, a carol by composer Allison Lynn, performed by the Amadeus Choir, George Weston Recital Hall, December 20, 2003

Cinderella, playing at the Elgin Theatre until December 31, David Warrack, Musical Director, Composer and Conductor, featuring Jennifer Gould, recent instructor at ARAS.

Espace Virtuel, with works by Sadko Hadzihasanovic, Chicoutimi, Quebec, January 2004.

New Works, by Sally Frater, Carnegie Gallery, Dundas, January 9-25, 2004.

Collective Exhibition, including works from the Embodied Series by Kathleen Vaughan, Gallery One, February 21-March 17, 2004.

El Comadante, new photo based paintings by Sadko Hadzihasanovic, Vu Photo, Quebec City, April 2004.

Visit the new website of Arts School instructor John Viljoen at www.johnviljoen.com.

Student Exhibits

Student Exhibit, Moira Clark's Further into Watercolour class, Avenue Road Arts School, November 24 to December 19, 2003.

Student Exhibit, Sadko Hadzihasanovic's Life Drawing & Acrylic Painting classes, Avenue Road Arts School, January 2004.

Student Exhibit, Martha Johnson's Acrylic Painting class, Avenue Road Arts School, February 2004.

Annie, performed by the Musical Theatre II Class, February 12, 2004, 8:00 pm at the George Ignatieff Theatre. Free tickets through the school, available at the end of January.

Student Profile

Marie Finklestein

A funny thing happened to Marie Finkelstein on the way to becoming a lawyer. Marie completed her LLB and BCL at McGill University in the late 70's and her LLM at Osgoode Hall Law School in the mid 80's. She wrote a book in Constitutional Law, co-authored a second book with her husband and served on a number of law related task forces. The stage was set for a distinguished career in law when Marie suddenly realized she would rather be an artist.

Marie remembers the very moment when she realized how important it was for her to paint. Five years ago she was visiting her sister who had recently mounted some of her paintings on the walls. She hadn't seen them in years, and when she did, she began to cry. Seeing her own work after such a long absence made her realize how much she loved the creative process, and that she had a talent that had been left untapped for too long.

"Art has always been part of my life," says Marie, whose mother is an artist and who has painted since childhood. She took it too seriously to look at it as "a little something to do." She really didn't want to dabble and between raising three children and doing legal work she had very little time left for anything else.

About five years ago Marie began taking art classes when she could find the time, spending more time on her art and less time thinking about law. She now devotes at least three days a week to creating art. A devoted student at the Avenue Road Arts School, Marie is enrolled in several classes and has been for the last four years. "I always feel good when I walk into the Arts School. I like being in a group, even if we are at different levels. There's so much to learn from everybody," she says.

And indeed, her new devotion has begun to pay dividends. She was a recent contributor to the Outdoor Art Exhibit at Toronto's City Hall and has been exhibiting her work in a recent show at Engine Gallery on Queen Street West. "I love what I do." Encouraging words to any aspiring artist who is contemplating making a significant life change.

March Break 2004

Our March Break schedule is now available. Registration begins on January 12, 2004 for these one-week, half-day programs for kids in JK to grade nine.

Stay in Touch

To join our e-mail list and receive details about special events and our ongoing Silent Auction, contact us at info@avenueroadartsschool.com or sign up online.