FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Organization
What is your mission? What impact are you making?
- Mission: To provide studio space, community and opportunity for creative initiatives to
facilitate mental and economic health. - Vision: To sustain an ever-growing and diverse Artbeat community.
- Our impact isn’t just seen and benefit our participants of our unique programming, but also the people in the lives of our participants. When one is well. We are all well.
How is your organization different from similar non-profits out there?
We are a not-for-profit, registered charity specializing in community-based, self-directed, peer-supported programs by providing social supports, studio and gallery space, and mentorship for individuals living with mental health illnesses/challenges for the purpose of recovery and empowerment. Our programs are free for adults and it’s rare to find a community-based program focusing on art during the day for this demographic. We are the only ones in Manitoba doing what we do and two similar programs to our artists-in-residence are in Ontario and British Columbia.
What did Artbeat come to be?
Established in 2004, Artbeat Studio is the first of its kind in Manitoba and stems from one family’s personal experience with mental illness. Nigel Bart, founder, and longtime studio facilitator of Artbeat Studio (now retired) was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 19 and has since used various forms of art to help with recovery from the illness and the stigma that surrounds it. His family wished to bring access to the arts and related mental health benefits to others with lived experience and their wish came true by starting Artbeat Studio Inc.
I'd like to get in touch with your team directly. Where do I start?
Please visit our contact page. Alternatively, you can also send an email to contact@artbeatstudio.ca or call 204-943-5194 for all inquiries.
What kind of stuff can we donate?
New to gently used art supplies. We accept basic supplies such as different types of paper, paints (acrylic, watercolours, gauche), pencils, pencil crayons, watercolour pencil crayons, clay, office supplies, furniture… best if you call us at 204-943-5194 and let us know what you’re thinking of donating to us! We gladly appreciate it!
Is there a minimum amount of donation?
No minimum amount of monetary donation at all. If you would like a charitable tax receipt, we would require a minimum donation of $20. But any amounts you would like to donate to us will be helpful – large or small.
What will my donation be used for?
Your generous gift will be used to continue the delivery of our programs. All of our programs are free for participants, so we foot all the bills to keep the sites open, accessible, and available, for them to continue their mental health recovery journey. We will use it to buy arts and crafts supplies for Studio Central, mounting and framing items for Upbeat Artworks, themed decorations for holidays as we celebrate together to form that bond of closeness so many of our participants long for to name a few ways we’ll use your gift.
Can we drop off the check?
Yes. You can drop the cheque off at 4th Floor – 62 Albert Street. Monday – Friday, 11 AM – 5 PM.
Do you have a physical location?
Yes. We are in the Exchange District in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We’re on the 4th floor of 62 Albert Street.
Can we decide or suggest how I want my donation to be used?
Absolutely! If there is a suggestion for how you would like the funds to be used, please tell us, and we will do so! If an issue arises regarding the request, we will reach out and I’m sure a compromise can be made.
Do I get the receipt upon my donation?
Yes. If you donate $20 or more with us via cheque, cash, or credit card at one of our locations, a charitable tax receipt will be mailed out to you. If you donate to us via CanadaHelps, Canadian Online Charity, or FaceBook via PayPal, they will send you the charitable tax receipt.
Community Involvement
I'd love to volunteer but my schedule is not consistent. Can I still get involved?
Absolutely! We have events that you can get involved in. Our biannual shows which happen twice a year usually require greeters, servers (when we serve food again), and dot runners. We also can use volunteers for our Art in the Park events – setting up tables and chairs, assisting the artists during the workshops, just to name a few. We can also use a librarian to help us sort out and catalogue our donated books in our library. There are plenty of events to get involved in!
What does it take to become the resident artist at Artbeat? What's the application process?
Any person 18 years or older who lives with mental health challenges or illness and uses art as a mode of healing can apply. Applicants are asked for 5 things:
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- Fill out an application for which is located HERE (insert hyperlink) or come by the studio to pick up an application. The application asks you to respond to a few questions about your art and mental health. We accept applications year round however we do have cut-off dates for each residency. For example, the residency that begins in July may have an application cut-off of April 15. We would still accept applications after April 15th, but not for the July residency.
- Provide three references that we can call.
- Provide a letter of support from a mental health support person. This can be any person who can speak to your mental health journey and your placement in the residency. Folks have used: a therapist, a psychiatrist, a parent.
- Resume or CV. This is not an art CV, nor is it checking on your employment records. We want to see the types of organizations and communities that you have been a part of.
- A Portfolio. Approximately 10 examples of the kind of artwork you’ve made. We are not judging the skills of your artwork, but rather we are looking to see your desire to create art. You can bring these 10 samples of artwork to the group meeting.
- A tour. Contact Artbeat and set up a free tour of our artist residency.
- A group intake meeting. We will schedule this a couple of months before the residency begins and it will include a few folks who have applied, a few staff and an alumni.
What's the benefit of becoming a resident artist?
The artist residency is a closed group, meaning that you will get to connect closely with 5-7 other artists who are in your residency group. Often, this decreases a sense of isolation and increases a sense of belonging through friendships formed with peer artists. Peer connections established during the residency often create opportunities for fun and humor which can decrease anxiety. Lastly, prioritizing your particular art can increase your sense of self and build confidence.
We are a company seeking a partnership. How do we get started?
Please call 204-943-5194 or email the Executive Director at contact@artbeatstudio.ca and we can go from there. If you have an idea of how you would like to partner with us, we would love to hear it! If not, we can find a way for us to partner!
I'm a local artist and I have a project idea. Would you be able to help me out with this?
This would depend on what kind of help you are looking for. If you are looking to collaborate with our artist alumni, then we can work something out for sure!
Do you offer grants to artists?
No. However, sometimes alumni apply for art grants and use aspects from their residency in their grant application. For example, during the residency, an artist might work on some art pieces that bring on the idea for a larger art project; they may use the skills and work they produced during their Artbeat residency to apply for their grant. Also, at the end of the residency, each artist is featured in a group art show and the following year they are published in our annual art book; this can further bolster grant applications.
Program/Event
What kind of programs do you offer?
We offer programs for adults who use creative expressions to help them along their mental wellness recovery journey. We have three main programs:
A) Artbeat Studio Artist-in-Residence Core Program (also called Artist Residency)
Our core program accommodates artists whose mental health, social connections, and income make it impracticable for them, individually, to acquire a workspace where they might advance their artistic technique safely and securely. The artists are supported and mentored in managing their own workplace and production within the operating parameters of the studio. The AiR program accommodates up to eight (8) artist applicants per six (6) months period. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older applications are accepted year-round. This program is located in the Exchange District, on the 4th floor of 62 Albert Street.
B) Studio Central, Urban Arts Centre (Community Drop-in and Programming)
Studio Central is Artbeat’s urban arts centre and is a drop-in art space aimed to facilitate the production of art as a means of inspiring personal passion, connecting generations, bridging diverse groups, and serving as a catalyzing symbol of the people as a community.
At Studio Central, participants can work on any personal art projects at large tables in an open community studio and store any works-in-progress in shared art storage cabinets. There are daily facilitated art technique workshops led by Artbeat alumni of members of the community, and on Thursdays, the studio is open only to a creative writing group.
Studio Central is located on the second floor of Portage Place Shopping Centre, primarily serving the Central Park and North Portage area. Its programming is offered to those aged 18 or older (though teens may attend along with an adult).
C) Upbeat Artworks, Gallery Boutique (Social Enterprise)
Upbeat is a gallery, social enterprise, and public storefront promoting mental health awareness and challenging stigma by featuring original artworks of Artbeat Studio Alumni. Each of the exhibited works represents a part of someone’s personal journey of mental health recovery through creative expression. Artbeat artist alumni who have completed the 6-month artist residency can become volunteer ambassadors and share their personal mental health journey at Upbeat Artworks. Artbeat Alumni gain retail skills, learn to handle money, greet customers, and have the chance to meet and work with other Artbeat alumni who were not in their group. This program is to empower and validate the artist alumni, help them continue their positive connections and build their community, so they can stay on the path to wellness.
D) Art Animations
We train our alumni to lead workshops of up to ten (10) people in the techniques of watercolours, acrylics, oils, origami, sketching, ink, and pointillism. We will come to your space with all the supplies and conduct a 2-hour paint-along event for your group. Our artist alumni bring their own unique techniques to the class and are open to talking about their mental health and how art played a role in their recovery journey.
E) Community Art Walls
The ‘Community Art Wall’ is a temporary exhibition, installed in a public space consisting of artworks produced by artists that have completed our Artbeat “Artist in Residency” program. These installations serve to draw attention to the importance of mental health recovery and stigma reduction surrounding mental illness. A public exhibition of art works provides an opportunity for your business to be an advocate for mental health recovery through the arts.
Artworks for each exhibition are selected by the host site to accommodate the unique needs of the site. Each installation benefits the artist, the host site and Artbeat Studio;
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-artists selling their works benefit economically as well as promotionally.
-the host site assumes the aesthetic of a public gallery space with a social cause.
-Artbeat Studio is supported in its mission to reduce stigma and promote mental health recovery through the arts.
Do you offer custom workshops?
Yes, we do! Please give us a call at 204-943-5194 and ask for James!
What's your Covid-related protocol?
During the pandemic, we followed closely what we can and cannot do for all three of our sites and they were all so different! We created a general COVID policy for our sites and it was last updated in 2022: Artbeat COVID policy January 2022.docx
Is there anywhere I can view the outcome of your art programs/events?
Yes! Follow us on our socials (Link to our IG and FB for all 3 sites here). We also post here in our gallery as well!
I'd love to take part in your program, but I have a disability. Do I get assistance?
Depending on what kind of assistance you need, we can accommodate what we can! We are located in one of the only buildings in the Exchange District that is accessible.
Can my kids join your program?
Our daily programs are 18+. Our Art in the Park events every summer are for all ages, and all are welcome! We run about 4 workshops from July – September on Saturdays, 12 – 2 PM at Central Park.
Do you offer your program online? Is there any online events?
During COVID, we took our programming and even some exhibits online! Currently, we have a live workshop every Friday on Facebook starting at 1 PM for all to follow along. Our biannual events are now hybrid events, where you can shop the art and see the exhibit online during its one-week run.
Program/Event
I'm an artist and I have some works I'd like to sell. Is it possible to sell them through your online shop?
Unfortunately, our boutique and online store is for showcasing our alumni only. We do accept donations from local artists to be sold in our online store or for auction as a fundraiser.
Can I get in touch with the creator of the art I purchased?
You can send us a message with a request or a message for the artist. If you would like the contact information of the artist, we will gladly forward your contact information to the artist.
The purchase I made was not exactly what I imagined. Can I return it? What's your return policy?
All of our sales are final. The best we can do is give you store credit in the form of a gift card for the store.
Do the art sales at your online shop help your organization's cause anyhow?
Absolutely! Our artists keep 80% of the sale price and 20% goes back to keeping the store running so our artists have a place to show and sell their art, a place to connect with other artists, and a place to have meaningful work and build their community.
Can I look at the artwork before purchasing somehow?
You can browse upbeatartworks.com to see anything that catches your eye before you buy. You can also come by our store located on the second floor of Portage Place Shopping Centre (393 Portage Avenue) to see the art in person!
Your support will have a direct and positive impact on the Artbeat community.
If you share our values, we invite you to consider making a donation. To learn more about how you can donate, please visit our donation page. Thank you for your generosity.