Grants, Funding & Education Opportunities in the Arts
A great way to hone your craft is to visit galleries and studios including the McMaster Museum of Art or the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas. Check out the Gallery List and Artist List sections of this website.
But if you feel you need a bit more structure, or want to further your formal education, here are a number of options.
McMaster University’s School of the Arts offers a diverse selection of courses and is comprised of five academic areas: Studio Art, Art History, Music, and Theatre & Film
Find classes and workshops at Mohawk College in drawing, painting, photography, jewelry, and silversmithing.
The Dundas Valley School of Art is an independent art school which has serviced the Hamilton-Wentworth Region for over 35 years. DVSA offers a wide spectrum of activities in the visual arts.
Students at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, located at 126 James Street South, can learn visual art, dance, singing, acting, and many other artistic disciplines.
Stoney Creek School of Art was established in 1993. Currently the school serves over 900 registered students each year.
The Art School Off Locke has classes for children, teens, and adults.
Old Masters and Traditional Oil Painting classes are available at Paul Richard James Atelier.
Fireball Knits is a Knitting and Fibre Arts School.
Grants for Artists
Ontario Arts Council programs help individual artists, collectives, galleries, festivals and other organizations that bring the best in visual art — painting, drawing, printmaking, installation, sculpture, book works, performance art, photography and electronic media — to audiences across the province.
OAC Exhibition Assistance helps visual, craft and media artists who are presenting work at a confirmed, upcoming public exhibition.
Visual Artists grants help artists create and develop new work and continue work in progress. Artists may apply to only one category per year and should choose the category that is most appropriate to their practice. The categories are:
- Emerging for artists with at least three years of professional practice and some record of exhibition.
- Mid-Career for artists with a minimum of eight years of professional practice and a reasonable body of work as well as significant public exposure.
- Established for artists who have at least 15 years of professional practice, an extensive body of work, a history of national and international exhibitions, and significant recognition.
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national, arm’s-length arts funding agency. Their main areas of activity are:
- Project Grants support professional visual artists who contribute to contemporary visual arts for research/creation, production, and career development.
- Endowments and Prizes: Each year fellowships and prizes are awarded to some 200 artists and scholars.
- Canada Council Travel Grants for Visual Arts Professionals
Other Education Resources
The University of Guelph Studio Art Program has developed into one of the most respected in the country.
The MFA Program at the University of Guelph offers an outstanding educational experience which promotes active artmaking involving risk-taking, commitment and critical insight.
Emily Carr University of Art + Design is one of the oldest post-secondary institutions in British Columbia and the only one that is dedicated solely to professional education and learning in the arts, media and design.
Now well over a century old, NSCAD University is wrapped in history – the distinctive stone, iron, concrete and brick facades are a daily reminder that this highly regarded art school is one of Canada’s oldest independent cultural institutions.
The Ontario College of Art & Design claims to have more depth and breadth in visual arts and design programs than any school of its kind in Canada. OCAD offers its students a unique environment that combines studio-based learning with critical inquiry leading to a BFA or BDes and, as of 2008/2009, an MA, MFA or MDes.
The Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is one of Canada's premier polytechnic institutes and is dedicated to exceptional applied learning and graduate success. We are a leader in providing skills-based educational programming that integrates theory with application, preparing students for careers in visual and performing arts.
Toronto School of Art (TSA) provides a positive environment for aspiring artists to acquire a visual arts education. Its faculty and programs reflect a balance between traditional skills and contemporary issues, ideas, and practices.
Other schools to consider include:
Alberta College of Art + Design
School of Design and Visual Arts at Georgian College
Workshops
Workshops in watercolour, Chinese brush painting, drawing and painting with Tadek Sobierajski, landscape painting, oil painting for beginners are all available at the Sunrise Gallery, 765 Beach Boulevard. Phone: 905-549-5888
The Print Studio offers workshops on Relief Printing, Intaglio, Lithography, and an array of digital printing methods.
Artengine offers workshops to develop skills for a variety of electronic art production approaches from introductory electronic art, custom software development with PureData, and the basics of understanding and working with sound. Through out the year a number of master classes and more advanced workshops are also on offer.
Artengine: Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue,Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2. If you want a workshop like The Desktop Pallet: Software Tools for Artists, you might have to go to Ottawa.
Since 1983 the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild has worked to support the development of the book arts. Find workshops on Binding a Miniature Book, Paper Decoration, Letterpress Printing, Artists’ Books, Non-toxic Etching (relief), Foil Edge Gilding, Dutch Portfolios, and more.
the Factory : Hamilton Media Arts Centre is an artist-driven resource centre dedicated to the production and promotion of creatively diverse forms of independent films, videos, and other streaming multimedia art forms. Ongoing workshops provide access to facilities, equipment and educational opportunities.
What do artists get paid for exhibiting their work?
First, it depends on the artist, and on the gallery. Since 1968 and approximately every two years, CARCC and CARFAC have issued schedules of royalties or fees for the use of the copyrights of professional visual/media artists.
The Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market is the best reference guide for emerging artists who want to establish a successful career in fine art, illustration, cartooning or graphic design. Readers will find contact and submission information for more than 1,500 art markets such as greeting card companies, magazine and book publishers, galleries, art fairs, ad agencies and more. This 550 page book is available from the Hamilton Public Library. (700.25 ART)
