To Dream, To Imagine, To Create

What is Art City?

Art City is a not-for-profit community art studio dedicated to providing people of all ages with innovative and professional arts programming free-of-charge. Art City’s primary goal is to provide space and tools for anyone who wishes to express him or herself creatively.

History

Over a decade ago, Wanda Koop, an internationally renowned artist and Member of the Order of Canada, saw a need for accessible arts programming in Winnipeg’s West Broadway neighbourhood. In 1998, she founded Art City, one of the first organizations of its kind in Canada. The idea: that community art programming should be accessible to all.

Why?

“We are not necessarily making artists, we are giving people the opportunity to think creatively, and my feeling is that if you can think creatively, you can survive almost anything”
- Wanda Koop, Founder

Mission

Art City is a community arts centre that offers high quality, free-of-charge art programming to those who need or wish to express themselves creatively.

Our mission is to create a positive and expanding cultural impact on the unique needs of the community by:

• Fostering self-expression in participants, encouraging a sense of ownership, self-respect, and pride in their work and community.
• Being a part of the neighbourhood, a place that is safe, comfortable, and supportive.
• Being accessible by offering free-of-charge, quality programming with local, national, and international professional artists.
• Being sustainable and available to the community day after day, year after year.
• Being a model for future community art centres.

Services Provided
Our main objective is to offer a safe and supportive place for people of all ages (with a focus on children and youth) who need or want a place to express themselves creatively. Art City is located in West Broadway, at the heart of Winnipeg’s core area. This culturally diverse neighbourhood is overcoming a long history of youth gang activity and the social issues that chronically accompany high rates of poverty, unemployment, and systematic discrimination. Whereas cities have long understood the benefits of recreation centres that offer sports and physical activities for community residents, there within the community context. Art City fills that gap.

At Art City, over thirty guest professional and community artists conduct workshops in their areas of expertise throughout the programming year. Art City also facilitates a variety of ongoing media specific art programming. In these weekly workshops, participants access one-on-one instruction and have the ability to work on individual projects. Every year Art City organizes and facilitates several community wide celebrations and art exhibitions. These annual events are always popular with the community, giving parents and children alike a chance to shine and share their imagination and achievements with a wider audience. Most of the staff members are young visual artists, as are many of our volunteers. Art City regularly collaborates with other community groups and arts organizations in the inner-city area. Because of our unique position bridging both art and community development, Art City is connected to numerous networks. This includes people and organizations from fine arts, craft, urban planning, community development, design, social work, international studies, conflict resolution, academia, and education.

Impact

Art City is a popular hub in the West Broadway community. Open over 250 days of the year, we continue to attract regular and new participants to our many programs. We receive an average of 25 youth, teen, and adult participant visits each evening. This works out to well over 7000 participant visits per year from a participant base of over 1300 individuals. Art City also engages thousands of others through our off-site programming, special events, and exhibitions.

Geographic Location and Community Served

Art City is open to all, regardless of age or address. However the majority of Art City participants are West Broadway children between the ages of 6 and 13 years. Art City also engages many local teen, adult, and senior participants who would not otherwise be able to access arts programming. The Art City studio is a positive reflection of our community, including residents of all cultural backgrounds and ages to participate together in collective art programming.

Volunteer Base

Art City has a wide volunteer base. Art City has 18 regular weekly volunteers and a team of special event volunteers. Students, teachers, artists, community residents, parents, and others are eager to get involved with the innovative activity that takes place at Art City. Through providing many exciting volunteer opportunities, Art City has played a crucial role in connecting members of the larger Winnipeg community to the downtown core. In several instances, Art City volunteers have later become Art City staff.

artcityinc.com

Photos of the Art City Free Store by Mandy Malazdrewich