Workman Arts is a proud partner of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
One of the largest and longest-running multidisciplinary arts and mental health organizations in the world, Workman Arts was founded in 1987 by Executive/Artistic Director Lisa Brown. For over twenty-five years, Workman Arts has empowered aspiring, emerging and established artists with mental illness and addiction issues to develop and refine their art practice through arts training programs and public performance/exhibition opportunities in five disciplines: music, theatre, visual, literary and media arts.
Sustaining excellence in programming, research, and partnering with other arts organizations, Workman Arts has entertained audiences and challenged perceptions about mental illness and addiction through diverse, thought-provoking programs including
- 13 Being Scene juried visual art exhibitions.
- 21 Rendezvous with Madness Film Festivals,
- the production of over 22 original plays,
- and the founding edition of the Madness and Arts World Festival.
As a mental health and addiction network, Portico provides formal and informal content based on the principles of collaboration and shared learning. Portico's partnership with Workman Arts provides the platform to facilitate learning and challenge public perceptions about metal illness and addiction.
Workman Arts online art rental and sales gallery promotes member artists through the sale, rental and exhibition of their work. The program's inventory includes a wide range of mediums and sizes by a variety of emerging and established artists. Many are suitable for display in an office environment or a public space. Works can be purchased or rented by both public and private sector clients. 100% of rental and sale fees directly support individual participating artists.
View the Art Rental and Sales Gallery.
Workman Arts
651 Dufferin St
Toronto ON M6K2B2
416-583-4339
Artist Profile: Sheri STRanger
The NOMAD series is an exploration in movement and colour. I experimented with the movement of my body and the paper, and used random objects rather than a paint brush; causing ridges and valleys to pool and drip colour. These created interesting shapes and textures through staining and the addition and lifting of layers in the paint.
Sheri STRanger is a Toronto-based visual artist/designer who works in paint, mixed media and textiles, transforming her fine art into unique wearable and functional designs.
Her boundary-pushing style is unnerving and evocative, even when couched in apparent subtlety. Tackling issues like politics, migration, marginality, mental illness, and substance abuse, STRanger seamlessly blends the spiritual and the tangible, creating provocative and compelling pieces that simultaneously engage the eyes and mind.
Her work spans private and commercial collections and has appeared in spaces from the platforms of the TTC, to movie screens at TIFF Bell Lightbox Theatre, to history making runways of the Art Gallery of Ontario and Rideau Hall, resulting in features from a variety of media outlets including CBC Radio One, and Fashion Series Magazine.