Girls get an art league of their own
Classes for females aged 10-18 help build skills, confidence to conquer the art world
It didn’t take Erica Beyea long to discover that, sometimes, it’s better to be just us girls. As the founder of the now-defunct Fine Oak Art School, with its focus on small classes and adult education, she noticed something special about the sessions attended exclusively by women.
“The students were communicating real-life problems, and being more expressive and adventurous in their artmaking,” she says. It was her youngest pupils in particular, girls between 10 and 18, who seemed to benefit most from this intimate environment.
“They would be talking about friends doing drugs or body image issues and their self-portraits would really examine the pressures they were feeling about themselves and their appearance,” she says. “They just opened up and let themselves be more vulnerable.”
Beyea recognized a need for a dedicated space for anyone who identifies as female to explore their creative side while studying practical art skills and, in 2014, the Girls’ Art League (GAL) was born.
GAL joins other female-centric, skills-based workshops such as Toronto’s Ladies Learning Code (LLC), where women can use technology as a medium for self-expression in a welcoming environment. Now expanded to more than 20 cities across the country, LLC also has training geared toward programmers as young as 8.
With class sizes that top out at a dozen or so, GAL focuses on exploring the work of female artists, both beloved trailblazers such as Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe and Canadians such as the internationally renowned Shary Boyle, who has donated pieces for GAL fundraising auctions.
Like LLC, a key to GAL is the workshops designed specifically for young artists. Beginning March 5, six weekly lessons for girls between 10 and 13, and14 and18 will be held every Saturday at the Rose Will Gallery and Studio on Dundas St. W.
Taught by talented Toronto artists such as Mary Tremonte, Amy Wong and Milena Roglic, the lessons give these budding creatives the rare opportunity to interact with practising professionals. Carolyn Beattie, an interdisciplinary artist who has worked with GAL since 2014, says that confidence, along with opportunities to feel seen and heard, are crucial in the development of young artists.
“We hope to inspire young artists to take risks, to trust themselves, to appreciate the process and to value what comes from it. To find meaning and see worth in what they make, what they think, what they feel and what they learn along the way,” Beattie says.
Sixteen-year-old Meghan Farbridge began studying with Beyea when she was developing her portfolio for her application to the Etobicoke School of the Arts. It’s not always easy to be taken seriously as a young artist and her involvement in GAL has helped her navigate the complex, insider-ish social network of the Toronto art scene; her work has already appeared in four shows.
Her experience at GAL also encouraged her to push her boundaries as an artist, experimenting with charcoal and paint instead of always resorting to illustration tools.
“You know when you can feel your- self being pushed out of your comfort zone?” she asks. “That’s the great thing about Girls’ Art League. You learn new things, but you don’t feel uncomfortable doing it.”
Beyea prides herself on her ability to create a supportive and comfortable learning environment. She’s also a true believer that individuals of all ages and genders can benefit from setting aside a time and space to nurture a lifelong creative practice.
“Self-care is political warfare,” she says. “If you even take an hour a week where you’re spending it with yourself on something you really enjoy doing, it just does wonders. It’s such a nice way to look out for yourself.”
Visit girlsartleague.com for more information.