Living in the outdoor recreation capital of Canada has a lot of benefits, but for those who consider themselves slightly allergic to physical exertion or the elements, it can be a harder place to find your niche.
Hayley Read knows this through and through. Having spent her entire life in 麻豆社国产the owner of Up With Art says she's long recognized a core need for the town to be "accessible for all."
Facilitating the arts and encouraging local youth to learn how to express themselves is one of her key mandates.
"A lot of us are really privileged in 麻豆社国产to be able to pay for private lessons and do things that cost money, but there's definitely a demographic that can't," said Read, who is also a piano teacher.
"Unfortunately art is not as prevalent in the school system as it should be, right? So if there's this gap in school and there are demographics that can't afford private lessons, then you have to fill the gap somehow. We're really interested in helping to do that."
Situated in the Chieftain Centre next to the Naked Lunch, Up With Art is Squamish's first dedicated art supply store, according to Read. Now in its second year of operations, it offers beginner, student and professional grade art supplies, including canvases, Golden brand paints, needle felting supplies, artist's clay, inks, sketchbooks, and more.
"We work really hard to be super competitive with the city. If people ask for things we try to get them in. We want to make it so people don't have to drive to Vancouver. If we are not price matching, by the time you've driven down to the city, with gas money and your time, it's comparable," said Read.
Up With Art also offers classes for children, teens, and adults of all levels of experience. Read, who really loves teaching children, also offers a lot of camps for kids, whether it be for school breaks or Pro D days. Artists such as Liesl Petersen, Toby Jaxon, Leilani Beckett, and Lone Tratt all teach classes in the store's studio space.
For the grown-ups, Read says private parties, which can include wine, have become a staple.
"We've been finding that people really like to come and do everything from acrylic painting to watercolour to alcohol inks 鈥� we provide as much or as little assistance as you need. Birthday parties are especially fun. Kids typically will work with clay, and for adults, we offer the group the chance to work on a collaborative project like a mosaic paper mural. Everyone can add to it and the birthday person can take home a nice four by four-foot collaboration of what the friends have done. People bring cakes, whatever they want 鈥� we set up a table for them, and everyone has a great time!"
Read is emphatic about embracing the entire community when it comes to arts, pursuing opportunities with the Hilltop Seniors Society and trying to bring teens into the space.
"Living in 麻豆社国产with its incredible outdoor recreation, not everyone can or wants to do that. Not everyone is inclined that way. We want to be the place for those teens and kids to go 鈥� for those kids to be able to say: "This is my place that I can go." They can feel that this is their little hangout.
"We have parents who come in and put their kids on a timer for how long they can be in the store, and I swear some of them know the inventory better than we do, almost!"
Anyone looking to try their hand at something a little unique in time for Easter might want to check out the Marbled Egg Workshop being held on Friday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. Details can be found at .
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