Bringing artistic creativity to Niagara-on-the-Lake
Tucked away in what was once a classroom in Virgil Public School, Beata O’Connell is getting back to work.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake artist has been away from her paintings for some time due to a wrist injury, but now she is back to not only creating her own works, but to helping others find their own artistic path.
“I love to work with the community,” said O’Connell, who moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake seven years ago from Oakville. “I came here because the Oakville-Mississauga area had changed. It’s impersonal. (Niagara-on-the-Lake) is more community-oriented."
She opened the ArtVeritas Art Studio and Gallery in the building — which also houses GateWay Community Church of Four Mile Creek Road — in early 2017. After restoration work that she completed herself, she opened the space earlier this year. In the past, she has offered workshops for budding and more advanced artists. Others in the community may know O’Connell for her other passion — Zumba — which she teaches through her Beats by Beata classes at the NOTL Community Centre.
“I just restarted those classes,” O’Connell said, with a smile.
She is also a certified art teacher, specializing in the visual arts. She has taught at several schools, including Bronte College in Mississauga and Appleby College in Oakville. She has also just begun teaching a visual arts class on Friday evenings for students at Vineridge Academy. “It’s a portfolio program,” O’Connell said. “It’s for students who want to build a portfolio if they plan to attend art school.”
O’Connell is also currently working on connecting with local businesses, looking to expand her contacts.
“We need to work together to attract not only residents, but tourists to the area as well,” she said, adding that she already has an arrangement in place with Grape Escape, which conducts winery tours, to include art in their tours.
“I’m interested in establishing a way for visitors to take part in workshops,” she said. “It can combine that experience with their wine experience. It’s original and different.”
As an artist, O’Connell works primarily in oils and acrylics while also dabbling in mixed media.
She utilizes natural oils, meaning drying times can be lengthy; because of that, her work is often done in a series.
“Sometimes completing a project, depending on the size, can take up to a year,” she said. "If I have a series, I can continually work on all of them.”
She recently showcased her works at Mike Penner’s Mikreations Gallery in Virgil.
She has plans to restart her workshops soon for both children and adults.
To connect with O’Connell, email her at artveritas@hotmail.com or phone 905-484-1027.