Free space, materials, instruction make Crash Studio popular with Kingston teens

Local youth looking for a place to crash — and create.

That’s the idea behind Crash Studio at Agnes Etherington Art Centre, where kids between the ages of 13 and 17 can drop in and create visual art every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m.

Shannon Brown, the centre’s program coordinator, tells Global News the young artists are welcome to bring anything they’re currently working on, or to take part in other planned activities.

“We also have art educator Danielle Folkerts,” said Brown. “She’s able to lead kids in activities she’s designed or something that the kids have requested”

It’s not just the space and instruction that are free. The centre also provides various materials.

“Markers, paint, paper, collage materials,” said Brown, listing some of those materials. “Last week they were embroidering. Sometimes they work with sculpture.”

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Brown’s hope is that programs like this will help to keep Kingston’s youth in Kingston.

“We know that in Kingston, youth are a very important age group to be supporting,” Brown said. “We want to make sure that youth want to stay in Kingston and thrive here.”

Art educator Danielle Folkerts, meanwhile, says the crowd dropping into Crash Studio is a diverse one.

“Some of them are working on portfolios for going to school. They’re interested in going to art college.” Folkerts said. “Or other ideas. There’s a couple of girls here who have been working on a book for the last year and a half. Every single class they come and make a page.”

Some students simply wish to explore different mediums in a more relaxed environment.

“When they’re at school doing art they have to follow a certain project or use a certain medium,” Folkerts elaborated. “They really like coming here because there’s essentially no rules. They really like that flexibility.”

Crash Studio’s last session will be December 6th, but a new program called Art Hive @ Agnes will begin in the new year.

“This is specifically for young adults in Kingston,” Brown said. “Anyone who is aged 18 to 24 is welcome to drop in and check out the program.”

The program will run throughout the next semester every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. starting January 7th.