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Flex your creative muscles at ‘Art in the Garden’

Sessions run Saturdays at the Michener House Museum from 1 to 4 p.m.
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’Art in the Garden’ sessions run Saturdays at the Michener House Museum. Mark Weber/Lacombe Express

There are only a few weeks left for Lacombians to flex their creative muscles via the popular ‘Art in the Garden’ program.

Having kicked off in June, sessions run each Saturday at the Michener House Museum from 1 to 4 p.m. It is held on a drop-in basis, and donations are appreciated.

“Art in the Garden is an all-ages art program,” explained Sydney Malyon, program facilitator. “We do a different program every single week.”

There has been plenty of variety since the start, with projects ranging from the creation of paper flowers, cyanotype print and watercolour bookmarks to rock painting and make-your-own watercolours.

“We try to hit a lot of interests and a lot of different age groups as well,” she said. “It’s definitely been a positive experience all-around.”

Coming up on Aug. 13, the session will focus on clay impressions and on Aug. 20 folks will be able to create a garden collage.

On Aug. 27, there will be a ‘Hammer-In’ at the Blacksmith Shop Museum, along with the Harvest Dinner fundraising event.

“There’s a really nice sense of community with a bunch of people coming from all different aspects of life and working on the same craft,” she explained. “You are all using the same materials, but everyone is going to come up with something different.

“I think that is a really, really cool thing to see.”

It’s also been a terrific experience for Malyon, who is a visual arts student at Red Deer Polytechnic.

“They’ve given me quite a bit of freedom to be able to do what I think will be appropriate for everyone,” she said, adding that typically between 10 to 15 people drop in during the afternoon sessions.

“We want people to get in touch with their artistic side in a very comfortable environment, with no pressure,” she said. “We want them to explore the different mediums as well.

“A lot of people have been really excited about it, and they just love to also be able to sit outside in a no-pressure environment and come and go as they please,” she said.

“It’s really cool for me to see people use (new skills) in their own art practices, and have more exploration at home. I think it’s just great to be able to stimulate that creative side of things. And it doesn’t have to be complicated at all - it can be easy and fun!

“It’s also really fun to see what comes out of collaboration.”



Mark Weber

About the Author: Mark Weber

I've been a part of the Black Press Media family for about a dozen years now, with stints at the Red Deer Express, the Stettler Independent, and now the Lacombe Express.
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