visual arts
POTTERY
Enjoy professional instruction in a small group environment. Learn wheel and hand-building techniques, including pinch pot, coil and slab methods. Open to participants of varying levels. Beginners welcome.
WINTER
Pottery (for adults)
Create something uniquely yours! Participants will learn wheel and hand building techniques, including pinch pot, coil and slab methods. Open to participants of varying levels. Instructor: Carolynn Bloomer. To register 416-924-6211 x0. For more information deannad@mnjcc.org 416.924.6211 x6251.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
THE VIRTUAL GALLERY AT THE J
PASSAGES II
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ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
A child of immigrant parents who left war-torn Holland, my art seeks to capture stories of loss and hope; courage and strength. I work with multiple materials, such as fabrics, branches, wire, copper, paper and ceramic shards. Materials from around the world, created by many hands, are represented in a single multimedia assemblage, mounted in a museum-quality shadow box frame. Copper is burnished in fire. Branches are wrapped in reclaimed copper wire and sculpted into vessel-like forms which contain a diverse gathering of textiles weighted with smooth stones and accented with found objects. The visual language suggests a story, a narrative which speaks of gathering the work of divergent cultures, histories and generations. I strive to have the materials form a new voice of a gathered people, a celebration of the human spirit in relation to its Creator, whether from secret spaces or the most flamboyant expressions.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Alice Vander Vennen, born in Canada, has worked as a professional artist since 1980. First trained as a sculptor at Calvin University, USA, with further training at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Alice now works in three-dimensional assemblage, participating in numerous exhibitions throughout North America and Europe. Her work is in public, private and corporate collections both here and abroad.
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This exhibit runs from December 2nd - January 1st.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Gallery at the J is seeking artists and partner organizations to participate in our 2024 season! We are attracted to artwork that tells a story. We want our viewers to experience a journey - yours and theirs.
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Artists and organizations are asked to examine universal values through a Jewish lens. Each month has been assigned a theme/subject which represent a selection of our core principles. Please carefully review the criteria before submitting. (We acknowledge the additional themes associated with months of the year such as Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month. If there are themes and subjects you are not seeing that you feel we should include, please write to deannad@mnjcc.org for future consideration)
Please click these links for additional information:
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THE GALLERY AT THE J
WINTER
Restorative Creativity
Shabbat is a great time to slow down and get closer to the world around you, to engage your senses and your sense of wonder by observing and processing our experiences through mark- and art-making. Using the Jewish Studio Process, we’ll gather in textual inquiry and art-making, ground ourselves with restorative creativity, let our minds wander with materials in hand, and nourish ourselves with deep play.
WINTER
STEPS Public Art – Transforming our Neighbourhoods and Community
Co-presented by MNjcc Adult Daytime Culture and Education and The Wagner-Green Centre for Access & Inclusion
STEPS Public Art transforms our urban spaces, fostering inclusive communities through vibrant, engaging and accessible public art projects. Learn about the importance of public art, how it supports local artists, increases public space accessibility, and transforms neighbourhoods through murals, installations, and special projects like the Accessible Art and Placemaking Project. For those attending in person, we will host an accessibility needs discussion over refreshments. This multi-access program - open and accessible to all - is presented as part of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).