Maker program takes library patrons beyond books

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This article was published 22/10/2024 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Public Library’s makers-in-residence program, established in early 2023, is back this season with two new artists, Tracy Fehr and Janet Murata, who will impart expertise and knowledge in their chosen disciplines to library visitors.

Both artists are hosting open studio drop-in sessions, which run for up to three hours, at the ideaMILL maker space in the Millennium Library from now until December.

Tools and supplies are provided for those who wish to take part and participants are not required to stay for the duration.

Fehr, a Métis artist who works with textiles and clay, will be holding three sessions a week, each with a distinct theme.

On Tuesday evenings she will be teaching handbuilding pottery; participants will learn how to make bowls, sculptures and figurines from clay. Wednesday afternoons are set aside for mindful drawing and painting, while Friday afternoons are reserved for textile work, with a focus on embroidery, beading and applique.

“I want to teach people some of the stuff I know,” she says. “We’ve had a lot of interest so far from people who want to learn techniques. People have already started making wonderful pieces.

Murata, a professional calligrapher and artist, is structuring her instruction a little differently.

She has chosen to focus on a medium for each week of her drop-in sessions, which take place on Monday and Tuesday afternoons and Thursday evenings.

She has already conducted watercolour sessions, inviting people to try their hand out at creating their own paintings. She will also hold origami and calligraphy sessions as part of her drop-in activities.

“People come and go. Some stay for the duration of the session while others just drop in for a little while,” Murata says. “Some people have enjoyed it so much, they keep coming back throughout the week, returning with their friends.

“It’s quite an incredible arts program for the public … I’ve met people who have never been to the library before but now they’ve seen what’s on offer, they keep showing up.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Fehr, who says she has been teaching longtime Winnipeggers alongside people who only just moved to Canada.

“It’s a lovely mix of people and I am really enthusiastic about arts programming like this. It’s absolutely brilliant, offering something to the public that you would normally have to pay for. To have working artists able to come in and share their ideas and skills and their process is amazing,” she says.

The artists are also conducting workshops, which require pre-registration as spaces are limited, across a number of library branches in the city.

Each workshop is between 90 minutes to three hours, depending on its theme.

Registration is currently open for Fehr’s upcoming Mindful Mandala Painting workshop, aimed at adults, on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 5.45 to 7.45 p.m. at West Kildonan Library, where Fehr will be teaching participants how to create the circular artform. The ancient practice of mandala-making promotes mindful awareness, creativity and spirituality.There are currently 15 seats available.

Murata’s next workshop, which also requires pre-registration, is on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Westwood Library from 1 to 4 p.m. This introduction to copperplate calligraphy will see participants learning how to use pointed pen calligraphy tool to form elegant letters.

Each maker receives a stipend of $13,000 for the 16-week term and a budget of up to $2,000 for supplies for use in the program. Supplies are purchased by the library and the program is fully funded by the City.

IdeaMILL librarian Courtney Campbell hopes the Makers program will continue to be at the library for years to come.

“One of the goals of the Maker space is to build community and have people interact with each other and this is hugely successful for us.” she says. “The goal is to have three makers a year for longer terms, spread out throughout the year. Our goal is to match the makers with the audience.”

For more information on upcoming workshops, click here.

Artists interested becoming Makers-in-Residence should check www.winnipeg.ca for future call-outs, which will take place either later this year or in early 2025.

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca