Professional Artistic Growth
Made Accessible
‘Professional Artistic Growth Made Accessible’ is an innovative partnership that steps beyond limiting societal perceptions of artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. Outsiders and Others will provide specialized professional development opportunities to help participants move forward in their artistic lives. Participants will be welcomed into the gallery for one-on-one artist consultations and small-group workshops with gallery curator Yuri Arajs, and co-facilitated with artist Seema Shah who has lived experience with mental health issues.
For more information click HERE.
Art Portfolio Workshop
Art Portfolio: What is it, what does one look like these days, and what is it used for?
A FREE workshop for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.
This workshop will offer useful advice on how to build your own portfolio and what to do with it once you have. Join Outsiders and Others Artistic Director Yuri Arajs and Seema Shah, a practising self-taught artist with lived experience of mental health issues, for an open discussion in a safe and welcoming environment.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own portfolio or some artwork to share for a discussion about building a portfolio.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 2023
TIME: 4-6 pm
VENUE: Outsiders and Others, 716 East Hastings St.
Email Seema at seema.outsider@gmail.com to receive a registration form. Space is limited to 10 participants, so register soon!
This workshop is part of Professional Artistic Growth Made Accessible, a community partnership project funded by the Consumer Initiative Fund.
Talking About Your Artwork’ is a FREE workshop for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.
Facilitated by Outsiders and Others Artistic Director Yuri Arajs, this in-person workshop will offer useful advice and tips on talking about your artwork. Participants are encouraged to share one piece of their own artwork to discuss during the workshop.
DATE: Saturday, August 12, 2023
TIME: 4-6 pm
VENUE: Outsiders and Others, 716 East Hastings St.
Email Seema at seema.outsider@gmail.com to receive a registration form.
Space is limited to 10 participants, so register soon!
This workshop is part of Professional Artistic Growth Made Accessible, a community partnership project funded by the Consumer Initiative.
View exhibition here: www.outsidersandothers.com/tanja-ajtic-and-will-dewgrave
The exhibition received local press, including:
Vancouver CityNews featured the exhibition on the six o’clock news, interviewing Yuri onsite at the gallery, where he talked about work in the exhibition as well as the importance of the show and project. https://vancouver.citynews.ca/video/2022/12/02/fighting-stigma-with-art
Co-op Radio - Rethreading Madness (interview with Tanja & Yuri):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjQhfVm2b2A
Co-op Radio – The Self-Advocate (interview with Tanja, Will & Yuri): www.anchor.fm/alisonklein/episodes/International-Day-for-Persons-with-Disabilities-e1rrvep
This exhibition features BC artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. It was co-curated by Yuri Arajs, Director/Curator at Outsiders and Others, and Seema Shah who is a self-taught artist with lived experience of mental health issues.
The exhibition is part of a community partnership project funded by Vancouver Coastal Health’s Consumer Initiative Fund.
FREE Consultations for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.
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Need to build a portfolio?
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Want to discuss how to market your artwork?
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Need help writing an artist statement?
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Looking for a fresh viewpoint on a recent painting?
Outsiders and Others Artistic Director Yuri Arajs is here to help you and it won't cost you anything!
Email seema.outsider@gmail.com to register. Space is limited so register soon!
Priority will be given to those who have not previously had a 1-on-1 consult with Yuri as part of this project. However, 25 percent of spots will be made available to those who had a consult and feel they could benefit from a follow-up consult.
We will be keeping a waitlist. If all first time +/- repeat consult spots are not filled within a month, we will reassess the distribution of spots.
This workshop is part of Professional Artistic Growth Made Accessible, a community partnership project funded by the Consumer Initiative Fund.
Can you imagine having the opportunity to ask any question you wanted to a practicing self-taught artist who has lived experience with mental health, and to an experienced gallery owner and curator?
Join us for a FREE workshop, What's on Your Mind?, specifically for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use.
Join self-taught artist Seema Shah and Yuri Arajs, Director of Outsiders and Others, for a lively and informative discussion about the questions that are on your mind that relate to being a practicing artist.
When you register you will have the opportunity to ask two questions to be discussed at the workshop. Every participant will have at least one of their questions answered and we will try our best to get to them all.
A limit of 15 participants can register, the workshop will take place via Zoom, and the workshop will last 2 hours.
And there will be lots of time for questions and answers, as well as for sharing of experience.
To register, simply email Seema at seema.outsider@gmail.com to receive a registration form. Please put “What's on Your Mind?” in the subject line.
Our Facilitators
Yuri Arajs is a working artist who has dedicated much of his practice to advocating for fellow artists, including artists who live with a disability. He has has been recognized by the press and received numerous awards for his arts advocacy and promotion, as well as for his curatorial work as a gallerist, and was named most influential curator by the Minnesota Monthly in 2008. Yuri is also an accomplished artist, holding three degrees, including a Masters of Fine Art from Cranbrook Academy of Art. His work is in both private and public collections.
www.oustidersandothers.com/staff-and-board-of-directors
Seema Shah is a self-taught Outsider artist who first began showing her work five years ago. Since that time, she has explored a variety of ways of sharing her art with the world. Her artwork has been shown and collected both nationally and internationally. She is a recipient of the Beaumont Studios’ Artist to Watch 2022 Award. www.seemashahart.com
Join us for a FREE workshop on Marketing Your Art and Yourself specifically for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.
Get insight from curator and gallery owner Yuri Arajs, as well as experience-based strategies from Seema Shah, an artist with lived experience of mental health issues. All in a safe and welcoming Zoom environment.
Discussion topics may include but are not limited to:
PR, social media, your attitude about your artwork and yourself, finding your niche(s), embracing your uniqueness, connecting and being active in the arts community, keeping your eyes and mind open to opportunities, staying true to yourself in the process, and dealing with the unpredictability of illness.
And there will be lots of time for questions and answers, as well as for sharing of experience.
To register, simply email Seema at seema.outsider@gmail.com to receive a registration form. Please put “Marketing Workshop” in the subject line.
Our Facilitators
Yuri Arajs
Yuri is a working artist who has dedicated much of his practice to advocating for fellow artists, including artists who live with a disability. He has has been recognized by the press and received numerous awards for his arts advocacy and promotion, as well as for his curatorial work as a gallerist, and was named most influential curator by the Minnesota Monthly in 2008. Yuri is also an accomplished artist, holding three degrees, including a Masters of Fine Art from Cranbrook Academy of Art. His work is in both private and public collections.
www.oustidersandothers.com/staff-and-board-of-directors
Seema Shah
Seema is a self-taught Outsider artist who first began showing her work five years ago. Since that time, she has explored a variety of ways of sharing her art with the world. Her artwork has been shown and collected both nationally and internationally.
View exhibition here: www.outsidersandothers.com/other-ways-of-knowing
This exhibition features BC artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. It was co-curated by Yuri Arajs, Director/Curator at Outsiders and Others, with Seema Shah, a self-taught artist with lived experience of mental health issues.
The exhibition is part of a community partnership project funded by Vancouver Coastal Health’s Consumer Initiative Fund.
If you would like to have a free artist consultation, simply email us at seema.outsider@gmail.com to receive a registration form.
Please put "consultation" in the subject line.
Once completed you will receive an email from Yuri to schedule a date and time.
There are only a few opportunities each month available so don't wait to register.
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CALL FOR ARTISTS
Open to BC artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues
Exhibition Title: Other Ways of Knowing
Date: May 2022, in celebration of World Mental Health Awareness Month
Location: Outsiders and Others’ window gallery, 938 Howe St., Vancouver, BC
Application Deadline: March 31, 2022
Art can provide a deeper understanding of the lived experience of mental health and substance use issues – both for artists themselves and for the viewer.
This exhibition aims to step beyond limiting societal perceptions of artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. It will showcase a curated selection of works by artists with lived experience of these issues – artists whose narratives are often left out, misrepresented, or misunderstood.
For Other Ways of Knowing, we are looking for work that expresses realities of the lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues in ways that are unique and evocative, and that resonate beyond the personal. Submissions may be as varied as the many ways these issues can impact an individual.
This exhibition will be co-curated by Yuri Arajs, the Director/Curator of Outsiders and Others, and Seema Shah, an artist with lived experience of mental health issues.
Important Details
1. Open to BC artists with lived experience of mental health +/- substance use issues only.
2. Self-taught artists will be given priority, as this is the gallery’s mandate, but we encourage any artist to apply who fits the criteria of the exhibition.
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Accepting 2D & 3D visual art in any media. Maximum width = 46 inches.
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There is no fee to submit.
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Exhibiting artists will be paid an exhibition honorarium.
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The gallery retains a 25% commission on sales.
How To Apply
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Email up to 6 images of artwork to be considered for this exhibition.
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The name of the image files should include your name and the title of the work, such as “1. Sam Stone– Outer Space”, “2. Sam Stone – Alien Family”.
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Provide a list of submitted images. Include title, size, medium & price (if for sale).
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Include a brief summary of your education, exhibition history, and how your work in the show relates to the theme (250 words max; only include information you’re comfortable sharing publicly if your work is accepted).
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Include artist website and/or social media handles, if applicable.
Email all your information to: outsidersandothers@gmail.com.
Application deadline: March 31st.
Artists will be notified of the curators’ decision by April 8th.
Join us for a FREE Artist Portfolio Review Workshop for Vancouver artists with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.
Receive individualized constructive insight from curator and gallery owner, as well as reflect on some thought-provoking questions posed by Seema Shah, a self-taught Outsider artist with lived experience of mental health issues. All in a safe and welcoming environment.
Each participant, if they choose, will have the opportunity to share their artwork with fellow participants while receiving feedback and having an open discussion with the workshop facilitators. Discussion topics may include but are not limited to: creating a portfolio, documenting artwork, presentation of your artwork, and what to do with and how to process criticism.
Our Facilitators
Yuri Arajs
www.oustidersandothers.com/staff-and-board-of-directors
Seema Shah
This project is being funded by Consumer Initiative Fund (CIF)
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