Our exceptional Art Instructors are all about creating a fun, low stress, non-judgmental environment that inspires everyone to enjoy getting creative. Their passion for art and for teaching translates directly into their events. All of our instructors are artists themselves, with experience in a variety of mediums.
Abtahi Hassan
Abtahi Hassan is an intermedia artist based in Winnipeg with roots in Bangladesh. Drawing from both traditional craft and digital media, his work explores how art and technology shape our relationships with the world and each other. He completed his BFA Honours at the University of Manitoba’s School of Art, with a focus on ceramics and installation.
Working with clay allows Abtahi to connect with history and materiality while moving toward technology through process and technique. His work encourages viewers to slow down, interact with, and discover meaning in the process.
Classes at Forum: Beginner Wheel Throwing Clay
Alice RL
Alice is a non-binary, Ojibwe artist who takes inspiration from their life experiences and cultural teachings. They blend these inspirations with a signature palette of bright, playful hues to create stunning juxtapositions of human brutality and emotion with hope and whimsy. Their mediums includes video game and comic book art, digital and traditional illustration, and graphic design. Alice is graduate of the University of Manitoba Fine Arts Program and Digital Media Design at Red River College.
Classes at Forum: Children’s Art with Alice and Teen Art with Alice
Brenna George
Brenna George is best known for her thoughtful paintings made from abstracting events in her life. Her style is a mix of journaling and humor insights using exuberant brushwork and anthropomorphism. Brenna’s work is in the collections of both the National Gallery of Canada and the Surrey Art Gallery. She has mentored at MAWA, Video Pool, the Rural Arts Mentorship Program at MAN and MAWA, and privately through her website. She also teaches painting and drawing at the WAG, RWB, and Fort Garry Palette Club in Winnipeg
Classes at Forum: Beginner Water Soluble Oils and Intermediate Styles in Water Soluble Oils
Chris Simonite
Winnipeg artist Chris Simonite has always wanted to do and make funny things. Today he specializes in a Cubist inspired painting style he calls Cubo-Weirdism.
Chris graduated with a BA in History before pursuing his passion for music, followed by a BFA double major in Drawing and Video from the University of Manitoba School of Art, and an MFA from the University of Ottawa.
Chris doesn’t see himself as an ‘academic artist.’ He believes that art can be fun and entertaining and still engage with big ideas.
Classes at Forum: Beginner Watercolour
Christine Kirouac
Classes at Forum: Coloured Pencils
Cullen Bingeman
Cullen Bingeman is an artist and educator from Winnipeg. He graduated from NSCAD University in 2019 with an MFA in Drawing and Painting. Cullen’s most recent work examines how meaning emerges from improvisational drawing grounded in movement and gesture. The work touches upon the themes of tacit memory, exploring notions of landscape ranging in scope from small drawings to large scale works.
Classes at Forum: Basic Drawing, Head Drawing, Hand Drawing, Figure Drawing
Dave Carty
Dave Carty is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with Bachelor of Fine Arts and Art Education. Dave has worked as an illustrator, graphic designer, mural artist and scenic artist for theater, film and businesses across Canada.
One of Dave’s murals features Sir William Stephenson. The famed “A Man called Intrepid” hero and inspiration to the James Bond novels.
Classes at Forum: A Natural Way to Draw
David Cooper
David Cooper is a Winnipeg based artist primarily working in watercolour, acrylic, and mixed media. David has been painting for over 30 years and teaching art for the last fifteen. David’s paintings range in subject from figurative, landscape, and abstract. He is passionate about teaching art to students young and old through workshops and classes.
Classes at Forum: Intermediate/Advanced Acrylic
A graduate of BA in Communications (cum laude) in Philippines and a Diploma in Creative Communications at RRC Polytech in Winnipeg, Desiree’s works are part of private collections in Canada, US, UK, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Desiree Mendoza
Desiree is a watercolour and ink artist whose works are inspired by the beauty of nature. She’s drawn to the fluidity and transparency of watercolour exploring its expressive possibilities through various techniques. A passionate advocate for the arts, Desiree enjoys teaching and sharing her love for watercolour with others. In 2023, her successful exhibition “Peaceful Reflections” showcased works that captured moments of stillness and natural beauty.
Classes at Forum: Beginner/Intermediate Watercolour and Loose Floral & Abstract Landscape Painting in Watercolour
Doug Fedrau
Doug Fedrau is an illustrator and graphic designer who is known for his detailed line work in comic book art and hyper realism portraiture. As a graduate of the Advanced Graphic Design program at Red River College, he worked as a graphic artist for several years. In recent years Doug has focused more on his portraiture and comic book art practice.
Doug illustrated the 2019 Gene Day Award winning graphic novel, Christie Pits and produced comics for digital and print media.
Classes at Forum: Intro to Portraits, Teen Comic Book Art, Comic Book Art for Adults and Explore Charcoal Workshops
Elise Nadeau
Elise graduated in 2010 from the University of Manitoba with a BFA with honors, focus on ceramics. Was the Student technician from 2007 – 2010. One of the founding members of the Edge (formerly Main Street Ceramics Studio). Has assisted in implementing ceramics programs around Winnipeg in schools, after school programs, daycares and at the NDINIWAE youth program. Currently practices out of her studio at The Edge, teaches at The Edge and Art City.
Classes at Forum: Beginner Wheel Throwing Clay and Intermediate Wheel Throwing/Hand Building
Eric Au
Eric Au is a multi-disciplinary industrial designer and maker. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ceramics in his home town of Winnipeg, at the U of Manitoba. After completing his Masters in Industrial Design at the University of Calgary, he worked in a variety of fields ranging from fashion & product photography, marketing & design and ceramic artist in residence.
Eric returned to Winnipeg in 2011 with renewed eyes and skills, and started his brand, Metro Grade Goods, in 2013. Here, hee works closely with new manufacturing technologies and melds them with modern materials to produce unique interpretations of common objects.
Classes at Forum: Beginner Wheel Throwing Clay
Jackie Neufeld
An artistic teacher turned landscaper, Jackie Neufeld has an Education Degree from the University of Regina and a Certificate in Prairie Horticulture from Assiniboine Community College. Teaching at Forum keeps Jackie connected to her passion of facilitating creativity within the community.
Classes at Forum: Children’s Art with Jackie, Children’s Painting and Children’s Summer Art Camp
James Culleton
James Culleton is a professional artist, furniture designer and musician. James has a B.F.A. Honours from the University of Manitoba. He has received awards and grants from the Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Arts Council, and Le Conseil des arts art lettres du Quebec. James’ art can be seen on the front facade of the West End Cultural Centre and in several self-published books on drawing.
Classes at Forum: Drawing Basics, Beyond The Basics in Drawing, Portraits Like The Masters, Drawing From Music, Painting Basics
Jean received the Platform Photography Award in 2020. Exhibiting her work in a solo show Hypermarket Rupture, in March-April 2021 (CHECK IT OUT).
JEAN BORBRIDGE
Jean is a queer, working-class multimedia artist and educator based in Treaty 1. She received both her Bachelor of Fine Arts Honors, and Bachelor of Education at the University of Manitoba. Using photography, video, and installation, Jean seeks to understand the illusion and spectacle of photography in relation to the body, advertisement, and labour, and the fallibility of such endeavours.
In the classroom Jean works to build a community of learners who feel safe, supported, and loved. Believing this sense of safety allows students to take risks, explore their identities, and develop ideas and inquiries about their place in the world.
Classes at Forum: Beginner Watercolour, Children’s Art in Motion Summer Camp, Teen Multimedia Zines Summer Camp
Jessica believes art is for everyone and is dedicated to helping each student discover their unique creative style.
Jessica DesJarlais
Jessica is a mixed-media artist who thrives by exploring new techniques and creative experimentation. Inspired by her mom, who first introduced her to the world of art, Jessica developed a love of working across a wide range of mediums.
She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Design and a Bachelor of Education at the University of Winnipeg. Jessica loves blending her interests in film and theatre into her art, drawing inspiration from storytelling, set design, and cinematic imagery. Outside of her artistic ventures, Jessica has been training in aerial silks for 10 years. Aerial arts have provided another outlet for self-expression for Jessica, as the practice encourages storytelling through motion. She has found much love for the combination of movement and creativity.
Classes at Forum: Teen Mixed Media
Jinyoung Park
Jinyoung Park is a watercolour artist with a Korean traditional ink painting background. She has loved watercolour painting since she started this medium several years ago. Jin possesses a profound admiration for its adaptability, its capacity for grace, its unerring authenticity, and its tranquil serenity.
Classes at Forum: Beginner and Intermediate Watercolour
Jo helps students learn to trust their intuition! To let go of fear and expectations, and allow whatever happens on the page happen – to be guided by the unknown and work with it.
JO PINERA
Jo is a second-generation Filipino immigrant, interdisciplinary artist, activist, and instructor, born and raised on Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg Manitoba. Jo’s art practice centers the foraging of earth pigments, such as ochre rocks and plants to create watercolour paint. Drawing inspiration from ancestral teachings and biomimicry to ensure her practice is respectful, reciprocal, and responsive to the land and community.
Classes at Forum: Exploring Intuition with Watercolour
Kelly Campbell
Kelly Campbell is a printmaker and art educator who has recently been focusing on community art and printmaking projects. Including a City of Winnipeg public art program “Youth With Art” project with Elwick Family Resource Center. As well as an “Artist in the Schools” with Kelvin High School. With these programs Kelly is teaching both groups various forms of printmaking. Kelly also prints their own work out of their studio in the Exchange.
Classes at Forum: All Ages DIY Screen Printing
Margaret Glavina
Coming Soon
Classes at Forum: Beginner Wheel Throwing Clay
Michael Saint Hilaire
Michel Saint Hilaire is a Franco-Manitoban, multimedia artist who explores new ways of conveying powerful human experiences through different mediums. He challenges himself to expand on the concept of a canvas, using found items and unexpected materials.
Michel brings his passion for artistic discovery together with almost two decades of teaching experience for the WAG, inspiring others to build on their own aesthetic and expand their vision of the world.
Classes at Forum: Fundamentals of Drawing and Fundamentals of Acrylic
Natalie has created public art that is up in Downtown Chinatown (CHECK IT OUT), and is currently working on completing a grant-funded comic about swimming lessons. When they are not drawing, Natalie loves going to their local library, playing TTRPGs, and going on picnics!
Natalie Mark
Natalie 麥月明 is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Treaty 1 Territory. In the past year, Natalie received an award for emerging cartoonists and made a comic for CAKE Chicago. They have also completed various community and public art projects for Winnipeg’s Chinatown, and run many art and comics workshops in Winnipeg and beyond including the Snoopy and the Red Baron travelling exhibit from the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Natalie’s comics are somewhere between a reflection of life and small curiosities
Classes at Forum: Teen Manga
Natasha Oduor-Owino
Natasha is a skilled Art Educator with a deep passion for nurturing creativity and self-expression in young minds. She holds a Bachelor’s in Art Education from Ashbury University, in Wilmore, Kentucky, and five years of professional teaching experience for grades K-12, in both Kenya and the United States. Currently, Natasha is a student at the University of Manitoba pursuing a Master’s of Education in Art Education.
In the classroom, Natasha’s compassion and love of teaching art to young learners help to create a safe, inspiring, and inclusive learning environment for students. While specializing in Pottery, Natasha is also experienced in teaching Painting, Visual Journaling and 3D-Design.
Classes at Forum: Youth Summer Camps – Ceramics & Mixed Media
Nick Iskierski
Classes at Forum: Children’s Art with Nick and Teen Art with Nick
Nico Narváez
Nico Narváez is an emerging artist with a multicultural formation, having studied arts in Nicaragua, USA, and Canada. Nico’s work is a mix of mediums such as black smithing, pen and ink illustration, wood carving, as well as painting and printmaking.
Nico’s most recent Art exhibit was in May 2023 at the Steinbach Arts Council, where he is also an art instructor.
Classes at Forum: Preteen Animation Art Studio, Preteen Stop Motion Animation & Preteen Mixed Media
Pamela Jeffrey
Pamela Jeffrey is a professional multi media artist, musician, and art educator who has taught at Forum Art Centre, the WAG, Palette Club, and online private lessons. Pam holds a B.A. from McGill University, as well as a Professional Teacher’s Designation from the University of British Columbia.
Pam enjoys presenting activities to her students that inspire the imagination and embrace the unexpected. She participates in group shows, does private commissions and is a recent recipient of two awards from the Manitoba Society of Artists.
Classes at Forum: Mixed Media Magic
POSY LEGGE
Coming Soon
Classes at Forum: Watercolour and Children’s Mixed Media Mash-Ups! Summer Camp
RAYMOND LYTTLE
Raymond Lyttle is a multidisciplinary artist, with a special interest in ceramics. He enjoys creating visual representations of how a moment feels, or is remembered, especially when it departs from reality. Working in different mediums, Raymond enjoys learning how different skills transfer, allowing for saturated colours and dramatic profiles. Community connections are key to the work he does, which includes working as an instructor, mentor, and highlighting harm reduction practices in his work.
Classes at Forum: Teen Art
Rene Bruneau
Rene Bruneau is a self-taught Felt Maker working at mastering the age old textile art of Wet Felting since 1999. Over the years Rene has facilitated workshops and classes through shops, galleries, art centers and his home studio.
Classes at Forum: Intro to Wet Felting
Through its ceramic practice, Wednesday focuses on the creation of community around and through the usage of functional objects.
Sage Wednesday
Wednesday combines graphic illustrations and bright colours with functional ceramics through printmaking on clay. The functional crafted object that exists in the home and daily ritual of the user creates a unique experience that is drastically different from work that exists on the wall. This subversion is paralleled in the imagery Wednesday uses on the surface of their pots, which pulls influence from traditional tattoo illustration, early uses of print media, and visual design elements of underground music culture.
Classes at Forum: Intermediate Hand Building, Intermediate Wheel Throwing, Beginner Wheel Throwing, Preteen Pottery, and Children’s Summer Art Camp
Sana Mimouna
Originally from Tunisia, Sana Mimouna is a painter and jewelry designer. Holding a doctorate in Art History & Theory, she has taught internationally at different universities. Sana is currently teaching visual arts in the Franco-Manitoban school division and leading workshops at several organizations.
Classes at Forum: Preteen Manga, Children’s Art, Children’s Art En Français and Children’s Summer Camp
Tolu Toludare
Tolu Toludare is a professional ceramist with a core interest focused on ceramic practice both at contemporary and technical level, with nitty-gritty on ceramic materials and analytical study of material behaviour. Tolu’s loves to create harmony for thrown forms on the potters’ wheel with dexterity showing African/Asian master class.
Classes at Forum: Intermediate Wheel Throwing and Hand Building Clay
VANESSA EIDSE
Vanessa received her BFA at the University of Manitoba School of Art (1995) and MFA in Time Based Art at York University (2002). After graduating she moved to Thailand, where she worked in the Fine Arts Faculty at the University of Khon Kaen (2002-2005).
Vanessa has exhibited work in Canada at TRUCK Gallery (Calgary), the AGYU (Toronto), Video Poem Festival (Vancouver), as well as Ace Art and Plug In (Winnipeg). Her work has shown internationally at XX Video Art Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, the Film/Video Arts Anthology Film Archives, New York and at the Sixth International Media Art Biennale in Wroclaw, Poland.
Classes at Forum: Preteen Painting
Ysa Aguinaldo
Ysa is a Winnipeg-based ceramic artist and the hands behind Just for Fun Ceramics. With a background in teaching woodworking and visual arts, Ysa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of teaching to her role as a ceramics instructor, nurturing the creativity and talent of her students. Beyond the classroom, Ysa continues to push the boundaries of her ceramics practice. Her dedication to functional ceramics allows her to merge artistry with utility, crafting pieces that are not only visually stunning but also serve a purpose in people’s everyday lives.
Classes at Forum: Beginner Wheel Throwing Clay
ZARA HAQUE
Zara is an artist, designer, and passionate art instructor with over a decade of experience teaching around the world. She holds a BFA from Emily Carr University (Vancouver, BC) and currently teaches at Art City, Forum Art Centre, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Her approach nurtures creativity, builds confidence, and encourages self-expression through fun, engaging art-making. For Zara, art is a way of thinking—a path to self-discovery and a powerful tool for connecting with who we are.
Classes at Forum: Acrylic Colour Exploration, Beginner Acrylic, and Children’s Art
Forum Art Centre’s instructors are committed to developing the full artistic potential of each student with creative guidance from experienced artists.
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We acknowledge that we gather on ancestral lands, on Treaty One Territory. These lands are the heartland of the Métis people. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation. Forum Art Centre is committed to moving forward in a spirit of gratitude and reconciliation.
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