Art & Crafts Courses in Cabbagetown, Toronto

BarnyardArts is a not-for-profit incorporated organization founded by Virginia Hamara, Mary Martin, and Randy Brown. BarnyardArts is dedicated to providing low-cost courses in the visual arts and crafts, sponsoring shows of art, and encouraging use of the Residence Building at Riverdale Farm by the community.

BarnyardArts has sponsored courses on topics as varied as ceramics, life drawing, book illustration, book arts, silversmithing, Japanese toymaking, photography, watercolour painting, quilting, garden design, and dollmaking. BarnyardArts was started when the Residence Building at the farm became available for use in 1995. The building was cleaned and painted and the First Cabbagetown Artists Show opened in December 1996, with fourteen Cabbagetown artists displaying their work.

BarnyardArts is funded in part by Cabbagetown Art & Crafts, a not-for-profit corporation established by Randy Brown with partner Wendy Shingler. Cabbagetown Art & Crafts runs the annual craft fair in Riverdale Park during the Cabbagetown Fall Festival, and receives its income from renting out spaces to craftspeople. Proceeds from the craft fair have helped sponsor other community and charitable organizations such as the Cabbagetown Youth Centre, Cabbagetown Cultural Centre, Donvale Little League, and Toronto Dance Theatre.

The money donated by Cabbagetown Art & Crafts is used to advertise the visual art and crafts courses and to buy some equipment for the programmes in Residence. Teachers are paid up to $40 per hour depending on how many attend their course. Fees for the courses are set by the teachers.

BarnyardArts allows visual artists to earn money teaching the skills they have learned and brings members of the community together in the classes. We are proud of the role of BarnyardArts in promoting a healthy city.

BarnyardArts courses are presented in two sessions, Winter/Spring and Fall. Registrations are made directly with the course instructor by contacting them at the telephone number provided with their course description.