Outreach Program

The OSA Outreach Program is dedicated to providing free, community based visual art classes with children, youth and seniors who face difficult economic or social circumstances, and have limited access to the many benefits of a structured creative environment.

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Our main objectives are to significantly enhance the quality of their lives, prepare the children and youth for future success, and to provide the opportunity to seniors to stay active and connected in their community.

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We seek to remove all economic barriers (no enrolment fees, no art supply costs and no transportation as the classes are taught in the neighbourhood at a local community house or community centre) to those children and youth with talent and an interest in the visual arts that would otherwise not have access to art classes.

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Generous donors provide funding to cover the cost of tuition and supplies, including packages of materials that program participants are welcome to take home to continue to build on their newfound skills.

 

We promote art making as a healthy activity that will strengthen ties across communities and cultivate an appreciation for the arts and culture. Modeled after the OSA’s high quality programming, classes are taught by professional artist-instructors who are assisted by classroom technicians hired from within the community. In addition, the student-teacher ratio is kept low to ensure each child or youth receives individual attention and guidance.

 

Providing a safe and nurturing environment, participants are encouraged to develop their creativity and cultural awareness. They are invited to explore different types of media, such as: cartooning, sculpture, photography and painting through various projects; learning that success can be achieved through a variety of means. Many students transfer their desire to try (and succeed) at art to other academic subjects.

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Over the past twenty-two (22) years, the OSA Outreach Program has delivered barrier-free art classes and workshops to over 6199 children, teens and adults in the city of Ottawa. In 2022-2023 we offered classes & workshops to 324 participants.

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This program is generously supported by Telus Friendly Futures Foundation, City of Ottawa, Crayola, Enbridge Gas Inc. and Bottom - Line Drawing Group.