An Introduction to the Open Studio

The Open Studio is based on the philosophy that we are all born artists. Art is our first language, as before we can read or write or speak, we communicate visually, making marks with anything we can get out hands on. This visual language transcends borders and has the ability to bring people with diverse backgrounds together and to be a vehicle for change, healing and hope.


The Open Studio functions much in the same way as any professional artist’s studio. Emphasis is placed on creativity, self-exploration and self-expression. This is not a craft room or art therapy. The Open Studio promotes a peer group environment where all artists are treated as equals and there is no hierarchy of “teacher” and “student” or “patient” and “therapist”. It does not matter if you are a resident or a staff member, a practicum student or a client from the community ... once you enter the studio you are referred to as an artist. This may seem like a small or even unnecessary distinction, but it is actually the foundation for building a creative community, which will in turn help bring about a true culture change. This is not to say that residents and staff will become the next Picasso or Matisse. It is not the intention of the Open Studio to turn out professional artists seeking a career in the field (although this does happen). It is about helping individuals rediscover their creativity (which in many cases has been laying dormant for years) and better express themselves. As a society we have handed art over to a select few. This truly innate human quality that lies within all of us has been placed on a pedestal that many of us are unable to reach. We are intimidated by what has become an academic pursuit and have forgotten the importance of the intuitive approach to creativity. The Open Studio nurtures this process and challenges the artist’s perceptions of art, tearing down the walls that many of us have built that separate us from our creativity. Once these barriers are overcome, the artist is free to explore their unique form of expression and develop an understanding that we are all personally invested in art.


The creative journey can be intimidating, and it is the beginning of this journey that can seem the most daunting. Art needs to be demystified and made accessible to everyone, including residents, patients, staff, family and volunteers. Through dialogue, experiential learning, and partnering with clinicians and departments who are interested in exploring the use of the arts, all stakeholders can begin to cultivate a visual vocabulary which will augment all forms of communication and encourage creative thinking. The community will help inform subsequent projects and identify the needs of the organization, which will shape the Open Studio to each new and unique environment.

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