Artists squeezed out of studios

There are two state-of-the-art studios at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre facing the golf course. I have been a drop-in artist there since the arts wing opened about 10 years ago.

Since then, as the studios have filled up, the management team has given less and less time to the adult drop-in painting group and more time to children’s programs. I and others think these children’s programs do not require studios of this calibre.

There are only two studios like these in this region that adults can use for a low fee. The children are colouring, painting and generally creating art that could be done anywhere. We are constantly being shuffled about to accommodate these programs.

Management has already taken one studio away from us and run classes in it.

We believe that our studio should not be re-rented to art teachers, as we are already renting it. The management believes we get a good deal for the cost and have many hours to paint. This is true, but the whole scheduling and double-renting seems wrong to me and others.

Studio 2 is full, and our fear is that we will lose it to art classes. The management indicates that there will always be time for us to paint in Studio 2. However, this is always at their convenience.

Some of us cannot paint in these leftover times. So sometimes the studio appears empty.

We have had a meeting with the management team.

Pat Robinson Victoria