Workshops

Workshop: Drawing the Line > December 1st

Sondra Meszaros

Please note: new revised date. Using the exploration of line and the grid in Esker’s fall exhibitions, this workshop will bring together the intellectual and emotional experiences that inform drawing processes. Through instinctual and rhythmic mark-making, participants will explore their individual creative vocabularies by becoming aware of methods that register differences in tone and texture. Through a number of experimentations, you will develop a series of drawings that pay special attention to the sensitivities and subtleties of touch. All materials will be provided, and participants are encouraged to come ready to be open to new materials and processes. 16+ only. Registration essential.

Date Night at Esker > November 30th

Come escape the winter chill and let Esker be your host for date night! Drawing inspiration from our current exhibitions, you will have the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and create your own artwork while honing your creative skills. Impress your date with your art know-how in this fun hands-on workshop, while sampling feature local wines and enjoying appetizers provided by Scarpetta Italian Eatery. After the program, continue your date at Scarpetta and receive a 15% discount off your meals. Adults 18+ only, cash bar, registration essential.

Workshop: Introduction to Linocut > November 24th November 24th

Mark Eadie

Join Calgary-based artist Mark Eadie for an introductory class in linocut printmaking. Participants will learn the basics of this form of printmaking including a short history of the medium, tools, techniques, registration, editioning, hand printing, and using a printing press. Alberta Printmakers is generously providing some of the support materials for this program and the rest of the materials will be included 16+ only. Registration essential.  

Workshop: Introduction to Silkscreen > November 3rd November 3rd

Heather Huston

Wear your artwork home in this basic silkscreen class with local printmaker Heather Huston. Participants will learn the fundamentals of the silkscreen process and work with paper stencils to print simple designs inspired by the current exhibiting artists on a t-shirt or other cotton fabrics. Alberta Printmakers is generously providing some of the support materials for this program. Participants are asked to bring a cotton t-shirt or other garment on which to screenprint. 16+ only. Registration essential.  

Workshop: It’s Alive! Urban Botanical Watercolour > October 13th

Jennifer Wanner

Inspired by the fall Project Space exhibition, Jennifer Wanner will discuss the intersections of art and science, as well as watercolour, collage, and drawing techniques. Participants will invent a new plant life form by collaging together both native and introduced dried and pressed plant specimens collected in the Calgary area throughout the summer. Your new collaged-creation will be translated into a botanical watercolour painting using the grid method. All materials will be provided. 16+ only. Registration essential.

Craft-Along Workshop > August 17th

Veronica Murphy

What are some of the ways that we can take our craft skills to the next level of artistic expression? Enjoy an exhibition tour of Anna Torma: Book of Abandoned Details and then join Veronica Murphy from STASH for a craft-along and casual discussion at the gallery about pushing your crafting boundaries in your own work. Bring your most inspiring fibre craft supplies for the craft-along – knitters, crocheters, stitchers, spinners, and weavers are all welcome. Participants must be over the age of 16.

Workshop: Appliqué Bunting > August 11th

Caitlin Thompson

Drawing on the surface design techniques of the summer exhibitions, this workshop will bring together stitches and symbols in the form of appliqué bunting. Although bunting is often seen as decoration, Thompson will discuss the history of appliqué and how the international textile trade has influenced this resourceful technique. Each participant will create their own triangular “tammy” flag, embellished with appliqué and embroidery stitches learned in the workshop. All materials will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring textiles and scraps of fabric to be incorporated into their flag. Participants must be over the age of 12.  

Workshop: From Lyrical Line to Wearable Wire Jewellery > July 28th

Joan Irvin

Observe, design, experiment, create!  Join local jewellery artist, Joan Irvin (ACAD), for a tour of Vanessa Brown’s exhibition, The Witching Hour. Afterwards, head into the studio for some creative alchemy of your own. Participants will work with copper and silver wire. All materials will be provided. No previous jewellery experience is required but participants must be over the age of 16.  

Workshop: Introduction to Sashiko > July 21st

Jolie Bird

During this day-long workshop, participants will explore ‘sash(i)ko,’ a rural hand stitching technique from Northern Japan. Working with traditional patterns and natural fabrics from Bird’s collection, participants will work on a stitch sampler alongside a centerpiece or wall hanging. All materials will be included. Participants must be over the age of 16.  

PLACEHOLDER: It’s your turn to talk! with d.talks > June 23rd

Join d.talks, in collaboration with Esker Foundation, at PLACEHOLDER. This is an unconventional book club where we present the theme of the afternoon and you bring your own book, poem, or object that you feel best articulates that theme. This is an opportunity for Calgarians to critically discuss and identify how the city and citizens affect and are impacted by local and global themes borne out of the work of Esker’s current exhibiting artists. Let’s form a new narrative in Calgary together! The theme of this PLACEHOLDER will be Thresholds. Registration essential.

Stitch your Stories! Embroidery Workshop > May 27th

Anna Torma

Learn reverse appliqué and other stitching techniques in this half-day workshop with Anna Torma. We will spend the afternoon learning basic stitching methods and design skills and will incorporate our own personal histories and visions into an embroidery project. Silks and linens will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own treasures to incorporate into their project. Participants must be over the age of 12. Registration essential.

Colour Theory Workshop > April 28th

Silas Kaufman

How does colour effect our emotions? Why do some colours excite us while others seem to calm us down? Join illustrator and instructor Silas Kaufman and explore colour as a way to communicate emotion and energy. Participants will learn the basics of colour theory and design, producing a range of abstract images. Participants must be over the age of 16. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

PLACEHOLDER: It’s your turn to talk! with d.talks > April 14th

Join d.talks, in collaboration with Esker Foundation, at PLACEHOLDER. This is an unconventional book club where we present the theme of the afternoon and you bring your own book, poem, or object that you feel best articulates the theme. This is an opportunity for Calgarians to critically discuss and identify how our city and citizens affect and are impacted by local and global themes borne out in the work of Esker’s current exhibiting artists. Let’s form a new narrative in Calgary together! The theme of this PLACEHOLDER will be Protection. Registration essential.

Date Night at Esker > April 13th

Come chase the winter blues away and let Esker be your host for date night! Drawing inspiration from our current exhibitions, you will have the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and create your own artwork while honing your creative skills. Impress your date with your art know-how in this fun hands-on workshop, while enjoying appetizers provided by 500Cucina as well as a 15% discount on dinner at the restaurant after the workshop. Adults 18+ only, cash bar, registration essential.

Small Cuts: Cut-Paper Animation Workshop > March 24th

DaveandJenn

DaveandJenn will lead participants through a short introduction into the history and creation of cut-paper animations as well as talk about their own artistic process and the inspirations that went into their site-specific work, Paradise for an in-between time in the Esker’s Project Space. Participants will get a chance to make their own cut-out paper creation which will then be included in a group animated sequence. Participants must be over the age of 16. All materials will be provided.

Unpleasant Design Workshop: We Will Make You Do It > March 3rd

Selena Savić

At the Unpleasant Design workshop, participants will use persuasive and coercive design techniques to invent designs that target specific social strata or behaviors in public space. The workshop will include an Unpleasant City Tour as a way to identify existing designs and possible new targets. We will brainstorm about possible unpleasant designs specific to the city of Calgary. Finally, we will craft Unpleasant Design prototypes that the participants can consider implementing in public spaces of the future. Participants must be over the age of 16. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Small Cuts: Cut-Paper Animation Workshop > February 24th

DaveandJenn

DaveandJenn will lead participants through a short introduction into the history and creation of cut-paper animations as well as talk about their own artistic process and the inspirations that went into their site-specific work, Paradise for an in-between time in the Esker’s Project Space. Participants will get a chance to make their own cut-out paper creation which will then be included in a group animated sequence. Participants must be over the age of 16. All materials will be provided.

Introduction to Oil Painting > November 25th

Douglas Williamson

Oil painting is a centuries-old tradition and nothing compares to the luminosity that is created by mastering this media. In this workshop, Douglas Williamson will teach a classical approach to painting with oils, showing connections between historic and contemporary practice. He will demonstrate alla prima (wet into wet) painting and working with a limited colour palette to create harmonious old-world quality paintings. Participants will paint a small study of domesticated animals or wildlife. Some basic painting experience is preferred and participants must be over the age of 16. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Evolution and Play Sculpture Workshop > November 11th

Mary Anne Barkhouse

Drawing inspiration from the diverse cultural histories and evolutionary purpose of objects of play, participants in the workshop will create a figurative sculpture from materials such as fabric, wood, foam, and oven-hardened clay. After a brief overview of the exhibition and how the artist references these precedents in her own installations, participants will design and fabricate their own creations based on personal narratives. Participants must be over the age of 16. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Stop Motion Animation Workshop > October 28th

Veronica Verkley

Inspired by Veronica Verkley’s stop-motion animation Second Nature: FERAL, on exhibition in the Project Space until 21 January, this workshop showed participants how to create their own ‘animate-able’ needle-felted animal (real or imagined) with an internal, poseable wire armature. As time allowed, we also shot a short animation sequence with the puppets.  Registration essential.

Collage Workshop > August 19th

Jason de Haan

Join artist Jason de Haan as he leads this exciting collage workshop. Participants will be introduced to basic collage techniques, which they will utilize to produce their own fantastic worlds and propositions. Participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Cyanotype Printing > August 12th

Stacey Watson

During this day-long workshop participants will make photographic prints using sunlight. Small objects and negative transparencies will be used in exposures on light sensitive cyanotype paper. The resulting images will be compositions in shades of Prussian blue. Participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Cyanotype Printing > July 22nd

Stacey Watson

During this day-long workshop participants will make photographic prints using sunlight. Small objects and negative transparencies will be used in exposures on light sensitive cyanotype paper. The resulting images will be compositions in shades of Prussian blue. Participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Hand-built Sculpture Workshop at North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre > April 8th April 8th

Join a North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre artist/instructor in a professional ceramic studio to learn basic hand-building techniques, and experience the unique qualities of clay. Each participant will create a small sculpture that will be glazed and available for pick up at Esker Foundation after the workshop. No experience is required and all materials will be provided; however, participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. This class will take place at North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre and each participant must arrange their own transportation to and from this location. Esker Foundation is excited to work with North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre to offer this off-site workshop. This City of Calgary facility has been offering fine arts classes and studio space to Calgarians of all ages and abilities for more than 25 years. Registration essential.

Figurative Papier-mâché Sculpture > March 17th March 18th

Jude Griebel

In this two-part workshop, participants will learn to create imaginative figurative sculptures using a variety of accessible materials layered in papier-mâché. Once the sculptures have dried, Griebel will demonstrate various ways in which the works can be painted and detailed. Participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.

Collaborative Drawing > February 18th

Kelsey Fraser

In this workshop, participants will produce a collaborative drawing. We will perform a series of sequential collaborations including a ‘telephone-game’ drawing exercise, where one rendering will fuse seamlessly into the next, while maintaining the individuality of each contributor. Participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. All materials will be provided. Registration essential.