By Liz MacKenzie
Lowertown provides numerous opportunities for those young and old seeking to develop or hone their artistic talents. The following is not meant to be an exhaustive list or complete description of what is available to residents of all ages from dance to drawing, acting to photography.
The Ottawa School of Art: Teaching art to everyone
The motto of the Ottawa School of Art (OSA) is “Teaching art to everyone”, and they deliver. No person in Lowertown with interest or passion in art, from age four upwards ever needs to go without expert instruction. Weekend courses are offered for children and teens and many of us passing the downtown campus at 35 George Street have seen the enthusiasm brimming over as kids spill out of the summer camp and March break programs.
The OSA is a remarkable bilingual institution in our community, offering a studio-centred school as envisioned by its founders 140 years ago. It provides studio training and hands-on instruction for all: beginners and accomplished artists, full- and part-time, children and adults.
Is the OSA hide-bound by tradition? Not at all! A glance at the general-interest winter courses includes fresh takes on traditional creative disciplines as well as some unexpected offerings including Art and Wellness, The Language of Art, Textile Arts and Woodcarving. There is a general-interest or fine-arts course geared to any level of experience, talent and time commitment. You can sign up for a 1-night-a week 11-week course or a weekend course, dip into a 4-hour workshop or drop into the open studio to work and be inspired by fellow artists. There is no end of opportunities for visual expression and creative development.
The backbone of the school is the Diploma and Portfolio Certificate Programs, which fill an vital niche in art education in Ottawa. The three-year Fine Arts Diploma course offers a unique program of intensive, hands-on training in the fine art tradition of drawing, painting, ceramics, photography and sculpture. The one-year Portfolio program is followed by students wishing to upgrade their skills for a career in the arts or develop a portfolio of work in advance of entering the workforce or applying to a university art degree program.
More than $11,000 in bursaries is available, awarded based on need and merit. More than 200 students have graduated in the diploma course, benefiting from working in the school’s 19 specialized studios with 20 dedicated instructors.
he Lee Matasi Gallery and three vitrines showcase student work at the school. Graduating students have the option of showing their work in the Great Canadian Theatre Company’s Lorraine “Fitzi” Yale Gallery at 1233 Holland Avenue and a number of commercial sites throughout the city. There is more information about the galleries on the OSA website.
École Secondaire Publique De La Salle
High praise indeed from two parents I spoke with about École Secondaire Publique De La Salle! Both parents had experience with the music program – one parent has three kids in the program at present and speaks enthusiastically about the quality of teaching, the cultural benefits and the fact that, when life looks bleak, their music keeps her children going.
The school provides French-language education from grades 7-12. In addition, students showing promise in visual arts, music and drama can enter the arts-intensive program, which prepares them for advanced studies and careers in visual arts, , dance, creative writing, music and drama.
There is a cost for these programs, but subsidies up to 100% are available to ensure that financial circumstances do not reduce opportunities for talented students.
School clubs cover a wide range of student interests including feminism, social justice, the environment and outdoor activities. Students also share their talents in an outreach program to Trille des Bois, a Waldorf-inspired primary school in Vanier. Soon, as part of an exchange program, some senior students will travel to Salliuit, the second most northern Inuit community in Quebec
Another parent with unqualified praise for De La Salle has seen her son graduate with a BA in music from the University of Ottawa and enrol in a music education program with high career prospects. As an exceptionally talented youngster, he benefited greatly from the quality of the music program at De La Salle as well as opportunities to perform and realize his potential.
De La Salle is Lowertown’s local French high school; however the cultural and social diversity of teachers and students make it a thoughtful choice for parents across the city who want their talented kids to develop a balanced world view.
RICHARD ROBINSON Academy of Fashion Design
Do you dream of entering the elite world of high fashion? I had a chance to chat with Renée Berezowski, Assistant Director about opportunities at RICHARD ROBINSON Academy of Fashion Design, located at 419 Sussex Drive.
This is the only school in Canada that prepares students to work in the traditional haute couture realm. Students learn the art and skills of design, sketching, pattern making, fitting, and fine detailing which culminate in producing their original fashion collections.
At 19, the founder, Richard Robinson, studied in Paris where he worked in the fabled fashion houses of Dior and Yves St-Laurent. This year he celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Academy he established in Ottawa in 1969. For years, the boutique windows on Sussex Drive displayed his fabulous creations. The boutique is closed now and all energy is channelled into teaching.
The Academy has courses for everyone, from full-time students in fashion design and couturier, to youth summer camps in fashion design, to short courses including sewing for all levels, hat making, lingerie, marketing, fashion sketching and history of costume.
A diploma from RICHARD ROBINSON Fashion Academy is internationally recognized: it is a private career college and students are eligible for student aid. Special support is available for international students.
An important player in the Ottawa fashion community, the Academy presents the Grande Première, a much-anticipated annual fashion show where students present their original collections. It is a collaborative production drawing in students from the creative arts program at École Secondaire Publique De La Salle and from local modelling and make-up schools.
The Grande Première2019 will be held this year on May 18. at the National Arts Centre. For further information, contact Richard Robinson info@richardrobinson.com or visit
www.richardrobinson.com.