Art Cart is a partnership between Workman Arts and Gifts of Light, which pairs established Workman Arts member artists with CAMH client services to provide peer-to-peer arts instruction with an emphasis on skill development and creative exploration. These art workshops connect artists with lived experience of mental health and addictions issues with those currently in recovery through structured 10-week workshop series exploring a specific art medium in depth and building a body of work. Recent classes include improv, photography, screenprinting, sculpture, textile art and poetry. Each season of workshops concludes with an exhibit of work produced across all of the classes, and participating artists are given the option to select works to exhibit and sell. Art Cart engages clients in a process of creation that not only provides recreational richness, expressive agency and quality of life, but allows clients to create pieces that are theirs to showcase and keep.
“Art cart provided a wonderful experience for the photography on purpose workshop! I had a lot of fun, and learned a lot about photography. The exhibition was very professional, and having my photos displayed there was a huge confidence boost! The icing on the cake was selling one of my photographs! I would recommend art cart to others in the future, and I hope that programming like this continues to get funding."
– Meshach Harvey, Participating Artist, LEARN Program
For more information on Art Cart contact:
Olivia Deresti
Program Coordinator
olivia_deresti@workmanarts.com
Special thanks to our collaborators on the Art Cart Program:
Click below to support the Art Cart program!
Recent clinical partners include:
Complex Care and Recovery Unit 2-3; Concurrent Addictions Inpatient Treatment Service; Early Psychosis Unit; ENCORE (Engaging Consumers for Opportunities in Recovery Education); General Forensic Units 1-2, 1-3, and 2-5; Integrated Rehab Unit; L.E.A.R.N. (Learning Employment Advocacy Recreation Network); Mood and Anxiety Inpatient Unit