Category: Oxygen Art Centre

Education, Summer Residency, Zine + more Donate! Support your artist-run centre EDUCATION 𝐹𝒜𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝐸𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅 PART ONE September 28 – October 31, 2026 PART TWO November 9 – December 5, 2026 Oxygen Art Centre’s Fall Semester: Part Two is now open ︎ Taking place from September 23, 2026, to December 5, 2026, at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes in textiles, drawing, and character design, and everything in between. The fall semester is broken into two parts, where students can sign-up for two different blocks of Life Drawing and the studio critique class, Art Speak with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg. Running over five- and four-weeks each, the sections provide new and returning students with a myriad of opportunities to engage in creative praxis.  Part One takes place from September 28, 2026, to October 31, 2026, with the majority of registration deadlines now closed; however, registration is open for another week to participate in The Flax Lab with Danielle Soucie for an in-depth engagement with flax from seed to linen textile (all materials and equipment included).  Part Two takes from November 9, 2026, to December 5, 2026, featuring Life Drawing and Art Speak classes, with exciting new weekly classes, including Discover Screen Printing with new instructor Gaelle Lalonde (AFKO Serigraphie’s new resident screen printer!), Writing the Scholarly Poem with Susan Andrews Grace exploring research as a method into poetry, and Unfinished Business with Cath McIntosh which provides space to bring any lingering, unfinished artistic projects to the light in a group studio context. Over the weekends, we are delighted to offer an Introduction to Digital Photography intensive with Louis Bockner and a one-day lino printing class to make your own holiday cards with Cath McIntosh! Plus, we’re again partnering with the Polka Dot Dragon Arts Society to offer a Remembrance Luminaria Workshop to provide the skills and materials to make your very own luminaria to contribute to the festival event. Learn about the classes and your instructors on Oxygen’s website. Register early to reserve your spot! Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student, but they fill up quickly. Materials and equipment provided for most classes. Oxygen’s Education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 23 years. The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators who share their skills and advanced education with the community. Interested participants can register to attend each class by signing up online through Google Forms. As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for your class. Community-focused classes are generously subsidized by the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming grants program. For information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on our website and on each registration form. Contact education@oxygenartcentre.org with any questions or for support to register. PART ONEWeekendREGISTER The Flax Lab is a four-session exploration of flax from plant to textile. Through discussion, demonstration, and hands-on practice, participants will learn about growing, harvesting, retting, breaking, scutching, hackling, and preparing flax fibre. The course will then move into spinning and creating a small woven or knitted sample. Beginner-friendly and adaptable for experienced makers, the lab offers space to work at your own skill level while building a deeper understanding of flax, traditional processing methods, and the possibilities of locally grown fibre through shared experimentation. Course fee:  $290.00[all materials + equipment incl.]Deadline:      Friday, October 9, 2026LEARN MORE PART TWOMondaysOxygen’s Life Drawing sessions offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee:          $90.00Deadline:             Friday, October 30, 2026REGISTER WednesdaysOxygen’s Life Drawing sessions offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee:          $75.00Deadline:           Tuesday, November, 10, 2026REGISTER ThursdaysArt Speak is an opportunity to meet other artists and discuss artworks created within a common theme. It is a weekly challenge to listen, think, observe, elaborate, and commit to the creative process. Whatever skill level or medium used, the group supports an intimate space where all feels included, connected, respected, and excited to share courageous exploration. Course fee:          $75.00Deadline:             Thursday, November 5, 2026REGISTER SaturdayJoin our beginner-friendly holiday workshop to design, carve, and print your own custom holiday cards using traditional linocut techniques. All materials supplied. Course fee:          $50.00Deadline:             Thursday, November 5, 2026REGISTER TuesdaysThis course will introduce beginners to the fundamentals of screen printing in a supportive, creative environment. Participants will experiment with techniques such as paper stencils, direct drawing with drawing fluid, image burning with emulsion using two different colors, and monoprinting. Emphasizing artistic exploration, the class will empower students to use their own unique style with this technique. By the end, participants will be confident and inspired to continue creating with silkscreen, be it independently or with further help in the AFKO.Sérigraphie workshop. Course fee:       $160.00(all equipment + materials included)Deadline:           Friday, October 30, 2026REGISTER WednesdaysThe scholarly poem marries reading and writing, research and invention. Your research can be the subject of the poem, used as a constraint, or a filter for its composition. The scholarly poem uses an archive whether it’s philosophy, literature, science, metaphysic, pancakes, or sciatica as its source. Formally, the scholarly poem can be lyric or experimental. This course is suitable for anyone interested in writing poetry, regardless of prior experience. Course fee:         $90.00Deadline:             Tuesday, November 10, 2026REGISTER FridaysLooking for the dedicated time and space to create? Unfinished Business is a 4-week artist program designed to give your creative projects the momentum they need. Whether you’re starting a new project, pushing past a creative block, or finally putting the finishing touches on work in progress, you don’t have to do it alone. Set in a friendly, welcoming studio atmosphere, this program surrounds you with a supportive community of fellow artists. Share ideas, exchange constructive feedback, and find fresh motivation in a space built for growth and collaboration. Course fee:          $90.00Deadline:             Thursday, November 5, 2026REGISTER WeekendA four-class course aimed to get people understanding their digital camera and how to harness light to make better images. The course will cover photography basics such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, metering and metering. Course fee:          $180.00Deadline:             Friday, November 13, 2026REGISTER Remembrance Luminaria WorkshopSunday, October 25, 202610:00 AM – 12:00 PM Noonat Oxygen Art Centre Fee: Sliding Scale: $10 – $30Registration requiredDeadline: Friday, October 24, 2026REGISTERLEARN MORE RESIDENCY + ZINEWe’re excited to celebrate the Three Way Mirror residency with artists Daniel Barrow, Glenn Gear, and Paige Gratland through a new zine created by Residency Coordinator Dara van der Meulen. Drawing on time spent with the artists, interviews, and research into the intersections of queer theory and craft practices, the zine offers a vibrant look at the ideas and relationships that shaped the residency. A limited run of the zine available in print at Oxygen and digitally on our website. Printed by Hall Printing (Nelson, Canada), the zine features unique hand stitching and beadwork along each spine. Dara van der Meulen served as Oxygen’s Residency Coordinator for the Summer 2026 Residency project. Dara’s research into queer craft and with the Three Way Mirror collective provides context into the material and theoretical practices that underpin this project. Their position was made possible with support from the Canada Summer Jobs program. Three Way Mirror is the artist collective of Daniel Barrow, Glenn Gear, and Paige Gratland. Three Way Mirror were in residence at Oxygen Art Centre from July 3, 2026, to August 7, 2026. The residency is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the Vancouver Foundation, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay ReDi program. All photographs by Kenton Doupe, Oxygen Art Centre, August 2026.LEARN MORE JOINSupport your artist-run centre by becoming an Oxygen Art Centre Member. Oxygen Memberships run from $2 (Senior/Student) to $5 (Single) to $10 (Families) and significantly help our organization. Become a member today! MEMBERSHIP BENEFITSEvents, Tours and Artist TalksVolunteer, Networking and Mentorship ExperienceRegular mailings and newslettersVoting Privileges at Oxygen Art Centre’s AGMDiscounted rental rate to document artwork at Oxygen’s studioAccess to current Exhibition Publications and CataloguesArtist-in-Residence and Exhibition ToursRegister ONLINE or by MAIL Already a Member? Consider making a Donation.REGISTER Images (top to bottom): (1-13) Oxygen Art Centre, Education program, 2026 Fall semester promotional infographics containing photographs from each instructor intended for promotional purposes, Courtesy the Artists, September 2026; (11) O2 Call to Artists, Exhibition & Residency program, Promotional infographic containing a collage of wikihow, O2 exhibition documentation of Bethany Pardoe’s exhibition “The Small Earth” from November 2025, and a Google Maps image of the O2 window location in downtown Nelson, BC, September 2026; (12-15) Three Way Mirror, All images by Kenton Doupe, Oxygen Art Centre, August 2026: (left, top) TWM Artist Collective Headshot, (right, top) Documentation of Dara van der Meulen’s printed and bound zine, (middle) documentations of artworks in progress installed at Oxygen Art Centre by Glenn Gear (left) and Paige Gratland (right), (bottom) documentation of artworks in progress installed at Oxygen Art Centre by Daniel Barrow, August 2026; (11) “Become a Member” text overlaid on an image documenting an installation in progress at Oxygen Art Centre, 2015;Oxygen Art Centre info@oxygenartcentre.org #3- 320 Vernon St. (alley entrance) Nelson, B.C. V1L 4E4 Canada Facility access information Office Hours: Tuesdays – Thursdays, 9:00am – 2:00pm (responses will be slow outside of this window) Hours of Operation: Wednesdays – Saturdays, 1:00 – 5:00pm (during exhibition run) Admission is free or by donation Oxygen Art Centre is is an artist-run centre located on the tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the Sn̓ʕaýckstx (Sinixt), Syilx and Ktunaxa Nations colonially known as the West Kootenay in the southeastern interior region of British Columbia, Canada. We strive to listen, learn and grow respectful relationships with all those who have deep connections with this land and its waterways, including Métis and many diverse Indigenous persons. We honour their ongoing presence as stewards and carriers of knowledge. We make this statement to recognize our privilege as uninvited guests and to reflect on our own connections to this place. Our responsibility as an artist-run centre is to uplift voices of justice, move at the speed of trust, and deepen understanding and relationships. We are grateful for the financial support we receive from the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, BC Gaming, Province of BC, Government of Canada, Vancouver Foundation, Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Basin Trust, Regional District of Central Kootenay’s ReDi program, Osprey Community Foundation, Hamber Foundation, United Way, Nelson Lions Club, and Nelson and District Credit Union. We offer thanks to the Polka Dot Dragon Festival, the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival and other key partners including Hall Printing, Speedpro Signs, and Selkirk College for their support. We especially thank our collaborators, volunteers, donors, and members. Oxygen Art Centre is committed to ensuring all exhibitions, programs, and events are accessible to visitors. Our facilities are wheelchair accessible and equipped with an all-genders washroom. Please contact Oxygen if you have any questions or concerns about your visit.

MORE CLASSES ADDED TO OXYGEN’S FALL SEMESTER

Oxygen Art Centre’s Fall Semester is now open for registration. Taking place from September 23, 2026, to December 5, 2026, at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes in textile, drawing, and character design, and everything in between.

The fall semester is broken into two parts, where students can sign-up for two different blocks of Life Drawing and the studio critique class, Art Speak with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg. Running over five- and four-weeks each, the sections provide new and returning students with a myriad of opportunities to engage in creative praxis.

Part One takes place from September 28, 2026, to October 31, 2026, consisting of weekly sessions in Life Drawing, Storyboarding Workshop, Character Design for Children’s Books, Art Speak, Chinese Brush Painting classes, and single workshops to work from a professional model in any medium or costumed models in movement, and a special four-day weekend workshop to explore flax from plant to textile with Danielle Soucie.

Part Two takes from November 9, 2026, to December 5, 2026, featuring Life Drawing and Art Speak classes, with exciting new weekly classes, including Discover Screen Printing with new instructor Gaelle Lalonde (AFKO Serigraphie’s new resident screen printer!), Writing the Scholarly Poem with Susan Andrews Grace exploring research as a method into poetry, and Unfinished Business with Cath McIntosh which provides space to bring any lingering, unfinished artistic projects to the light in a group studio context. Over the weekends, we are delighted to offer an Introduction to Digital Photography intensive with Louis Bockner and a one-day lino printing class to make your own holiday cards with Cath McIntosh!

Plus, Oxygen Art Centre is again partnering with the Polka Dot Dragon Arts Society to offer a Remembrance Luminaria Workshop to provide the skills and materials to make your very own luminaria to contribute to the festival event.

Learn about the classes and your instructors on Oxygen’s website. Register early to reserve your spot! Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student, but they fill up quickly. Materials and equipment provided for most classes.

Part One and Part Two are now open for registration. Additional classes and events will be announced on a rolling basis.

Oxygen’s Education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 23 years. The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators who share their skills and advanced education with the community.

Interested participants can register to attend each class by signing up online through Google Forms.

As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for your class. Community-focused classes are generously subsidized by the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming grants program. For information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on their website and on each registration form.

Oxygen Art Centre is an artist-run centre located at #3-320 Vernon Street along the alleyway behind Baker Street. For more information about how to access the facility or to register for a class, please visit Oxygen’s website or contact the artist-run centre via email.

Image Credit (above): Teaching Digital Photography, Louis Bockner, 2026; Courtesy the artist

Image Credit (below): Oxygen Art Centre Education program poster design for the Fall semester, Part Two, 2026

Website link: https://oxygenartcentre.org/2026-fall-semester-part-two/

Press Contact:

Julia Prudhomme

Executive Director

Oxygen Art Centre

info@oxygenartcentre.org

𝓟𝓐ℛ𝑇 𝑇𝓦𝓞 ˚꩜ early-bird registration !! now open !!

Education, O2 Call to Artists + more Donate! Support your artist-run centre EDUCATION 𝐹𝒜𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝐸𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅 PART ONE September 28 – October 31, 2026 [5 weeks]Registration open, PART TWO November 9 – December 5, 2026 [4 weeks] Registration open: September 26 ˚꩜ early-bird registration: today! Oxygen Art Centre’s Fall Semester: Part Two is now open for early-bird registration—a special offering to Oxygen’s members and newsletter subscribers ︎ Taking place from September 23, 2026, to December 5, 2026, at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes in textiles, drawing, and character design, and everything in between. The fall semester is broken into two parts, where students can sign-up for two different blocks of Life Drawing and the studio critique class, Art Speak with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg. Running over five- and four-weeks each, the sections provide new and returning students with a myriad of opportunities to engage in creative praxis. Part One takes place from September 28, 2026, to October 31, 2026, with the majority of registration deadlines now closed; however, three classes are still open for registration, including Storyboarding Workshop with Marceline Tanguay on visual storytelling, Art Speak Pt.1 with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg for weekly creative prompts and group critique, and The Flax Lab with Danielle Soucie for an in-depth engagement with flax from seed to linen textile (all materials and equipment included).  Part Two takes from November 9, 2026, to December 5, 2026, featuring Life Drawing and Art Speak classes, with exciting new weekly classes, including Discover Screen Printing with new instructor Gaelle Lalonde (AFKO Serigraphie’s new resident screen printer!), Writing the Scholarly Poem with Susan Andrews Grace exploring research as a method into poetry, and Unfinished Business with Cath McIntosh which provides space to bring any lingering, unfinished artistic projects to the light in a group studio context. Over the weekends, we are delighted to offer an Introduction to Digital Photography intensive with Louis Bockner and a one-day lino printing class to make your own holiday cards with Cath McIntosh! Plus, we’re again partnering with the Polka Dot Dragon Arts Society to offer a Remembrance Luminaria Workshop to provide the skills and materials to make your very own luminaria to contribute to the festival event. Learn about the classes and your instructors on Oxygen’s website. Register early to reserve your spot! Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student, but they fill up quickly. Materials and equipment provided for most classes. Oxygen’s Education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 23 years. The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators who share their skills and advanced education with the community. Interested participants can register to attend each class by signing up online through Google Forms. As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for your class. Community-focused classes are generously subsidized by the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming grants program. For information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on our website and on each registration form. Contact education@oxygenartcentre.org with any questions or for support to register. PART TWOMondaysOxygen’s Life Drawing sessions offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee:          $90.00Deadline:             Friday, October 30, 2026REGISTER WednesdaysOxygen’s Life Drawing sessions offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee:          $75.00Deadline:             Tuesday, November, 10, 2026REGISTER ThursdaysArt Speak is an opportunity to meet other artists and discuss artworks created within a common theme. It is a weekly challenge to listen, think, observe, elaborate, and commit to the creative process. Whatever skill level or medium used, the group supports an intimate space where all feels included, connected, respected, and excited to share courageous exploration. Course fee:          $75.00Deadline:             Thursday, November 5, 2026REGISTER SaturdayJoin our beginner-friendly holiday workshop to design, carve, and print your own custom holiday cards using traditional linocut techniques. All materials supplied. Course fee:          $50.00Deadline:             Thursday, November 5, 2026REGISTER TuesdaysThis course will introduce beginners to the fundamentals of screen printing in a supportive, creative environment. Participants will experiment with techniques such as paper stencils, direct drawing with drawing fluid, image burning with emulsion using two different colors, and monoprinting. Emphasizing artistic exploration, the class will empower students to use their own unique style with this technique. By the end, participants will be confident and inspired to continue creating with silkscreen, be it independently or with further help in the AFKO.Sérigraphie workshop. Course fee:       $160.00(all equipment + materials included)Deadline:           Friday, October 30, 2026REGISTER WednesdaysThe scholarly poem marries reading and writing, research and invention. Your research can be the subject of the poem, used as a constraint, or a filter for its composition. The scholarly poem uses an archive whether it’s philosophy, literature, science, metaphysic, pancakes, or sciatica as its source. Formally, the scholarly poem can be lyric or experimental. This course is suitable for anyone interested in writing poetry, regardless of prior experience. Course fee:         $90.00Deadline:             Tuesday, November 10, 2026REGISTER FridaysLooking for the dedicated time and space to create? Unfinished Business is a 4-week artist program designed to give your creative projects the momentum they need. Whether you’re starting a new project, pushing past a creative block, or finally putting the finishing touches on work in progress, you don’t have to do it alone. Set in a friendly, welcoming studio atmosphere, this program surrounds you with a supportive community of fellow artists. Share ideas, exchange constructive feedback, and find fresh motivation in a space built for growth and collaboration. Course fee:          $90.00Deadline:             Thursday, November 5, 2026REGISTER WeekendA four-class course aimed to get people understanding their digital camera and how to harness light to make better images. The course will cover photography basics such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, metering and metering. Course fee:          $180.00Deadline:             Friday, November 13, 2026REGISTER Remembrance Luminaria WorkshopSunday, October 25, 202610:00 AM – 12:00 PM Noonat Oxygen Art Centre Fee: Sliding Scale: $10 – $30Registration requiredDeadline: Friday, October 24, 2026

…

DRAW, PAINT AND PROCESS FLAX THIS FALL AT OXYGEN ART CENTRE

Oxygen Art Centre’s Fall Semester is now open for registration. Taking place from September 23, 2026, to December 5, 2026, at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes in textile, drawing, and character design, and everything in between.

The fall semester is broken into two parts, where students can sign-up for two different blocks of Life Drawing and the studio critique class, Art Speak with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg. Running over five- and four-weeks each, the sections provide new and returning students with a myriad of opportunities to engage in creative praxis.

Part One takes place from September 28, 2026, to October 31, 2026, consisting of weekly sessions in Life Drawing, Storyboarding Workshop, Character Design for Children’s Books, Art Speak, Chinese Brush Painting classes, and single workshops to work from a professional model in any medium or costumed models in movement, and a special four-day weekend workshop to explore flax from plant to textile with Danielle Soucie.

Part Two takes from November 9, 2026, to December 5, 2026, featuring Life Drawing and Art Speak classes, with additional weekly and one-day workshops to be announced later in the month.

Learn about the classes and your instructors on Oxygen’s website. Register early to reserve your spot! Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student, but they fill up quickly. Materials and equipment provided for most classes.

Part One of the Fall Semester is now open for registration, as of September 9, 2026. Part Two will be open for registration by September 23, 2026. Additional classes and events will be announced on a rolling basis.

Oxygen’s Education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 23 years. The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators who share their skills and advanced education with the community.

Interested participants can register to attend each class by signing up online through Google Forms.

As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for your class. Community-focused classes are generously subsidized by the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming grants program. For information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on their website and on each registration form.

Oxygen Art Centre is an artist-run centre located at #3-320 Vernon Street along the alleyway behind Baker Street. For more information about how to access the facility or to register for a class, please visit Oxygen’s website or contact the artist-run centre via email.

Image Credit (above): Flax growing, Danielle Soucie, Promotion for Soucie’s upcoming class The Flax Lab, 2026; Courtesy the artist

Image Credit (below): Oxygen Art Centre Education program poster design for the Fall semester, Part One, 2026

Website link: https://oxygenartcentre.org/2026-fall-semester-part-one/

Press Contact:

Julia Prudhomme

Executive Director

Oxygen Art Centre

info@oxygenartcentre.org

—

Julia Prudhomme (she/her)

Executive Director / oxygen art centre

My regular office hours are Tuesday – Thursday, 9:00am – 2:00pm PT. Responses will be slow outside of this window. 

info@oxygenartcentre.org

www.oxygenartcentre.org

𝐹𝒜𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝐸𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅 ˚꩜ early-bird registration !! now open !!

EDUCATION 𝐹𝒜𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝐸𝑀𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝑅 PART ONE September 28 – October 31, 2026 [5 weeks] Registration open: September 9 /˚꩜ early-bird registration: today! PART TWO November 9 – December 5, 2026 [4 weeks] Registration open: September 23 Oxygen Art Centre’s Fall Semester is now open for early-bird registration—a special offering to Oxygen’s members and newsletter subscribers ︎ Taking place from September 23, 2026, to December 5, 2026, at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes in textiles, drawing, and character design, and everything in between. The fall semester is broken into two parts, where students can sign-up for two different blocks of Life Drawing and the studio critique class, Art Speak with Emilie Leblanc-Kromberg. Running over five- and four-weeks each, the sections provide new and returning students with a myriad of opportunities to engage in creative praxis.  Part One takes place from September 28, 2026, to October 31, 2026, consisting of weekly sessions in Life Drawing, Storyboarding Workshop, Character Design for Children’s Books, Art Speak, Chinese Brush Painting classes, and single workshops to work from a professional model in any medium or costumed models in movement, and a special four-day weekend workshop to explore flax from plant to textile with West Kootenay Fibreshed Collective co-founder, Danielle Soucie.  Part Two takes from November 9, 2026, to December 5, 2026, featuring Life Drawing and Art Speak classes, with additional weekly and one-day workshops to be announced later in the month. Learn about the classes and your instructors on Oxygen’s website. Register early to reserve your spot! Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student, but they fill up quickly. Materials and equipment provided for most classes. Oxygen’s Education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 23 years. The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators who share their skills and advanced education with the community. Interested participants can register to attend each class by signing up online through Google Forms.  As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for your class. Community-focused classes are generously subsidized by the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming grants program. For information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on our website and on each registration form. Contact education@oxygenartcentre.org with any questions or for support to register.PART ONEis a MondaysOxygen’s Life Drawing sessions offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee:  $90.00Deadline:     Monday, September 21, 2026REGISTER Wednesdays This is a daytime version of Oxygen’s Life Drawing sessions, which offer a weekly opportunity to draw from a professional model in a studio setting. Poses will typically begin with short (2-minute poses) for quick gestural studies and work up through increments to longer (15-20 minute) poses. No instruction is offered. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. Course fee:  $75.00Deadline:     Wednesday, September 23, 2026REGISTER Wednesday This figure drawing class features dynamic, costumed models—from fantasy characters to jiujitsu fighters and vintage outfits—striking bold, expressive poses in a relaxed atmosphere. Ranging from 30 seconds to 15 minutes, these short-pose costume studies are a valuable method for capturing actions quickly, make fast decisions, and block-in shapes efficiently. Participants will have access to easels, donkeys, drawing boards and miscellaneous drawing materials and are encouraged to bring materials for the drawing medium of their choice. Classes are kept small to create a dynamic, engaging environment for creative and technical engagement. No prior experience is needed—just bring your sketchpad and an open mind. Course fee: $50.00Deadline:       Friday, September 18, 2026REGISTER Fridays Over three sessions, students will explore the wondrous world of Chinese brush painting. Led by Zen Wang, students will cover scenery, animal and plants painting techniques. All supplies will be provided. Course fee:  $100.00Deadline:     Friday, October 2, 2026REGISTER WeekendREGISTERTuesdaysThis course covers the complete pipeline from script and thumb nailing to creating pitch-ready storyboards to add to your Animation portfolio. Students will be given a short script and characters to work from to then visually draw shot selection, camera angles, perspective, and character acting to drive narrative clarity. In between classes there will be homework that will be reviewed at each following class. Drawing abilities are necessary but no prior experience with animation or storyboarding required. This class will primarily engage in storyboarding techniques with paper and pencil, with some introduction to digital techniques. This class is taught by an industry veteran with backgrounds at studios like DreamWorks. Course fee:   $140.00Deadline:      Tuesday, September 29, 2026REGISTER Wednesdays This is an introductory course into character design for the development of children’s picture books. Over three classes, students will learn skills in character design from initial idea to sketching, layout, and final illustrations. Leonard Erlbruch is a new Oxygen instructor, recently having moved to Nelson with his family from Leipzig, Germany. Leonard brings an extensive background in illustration, character design, and writing children’s books. Course fee:  $100.00Deadline:       Wednesday, September 23, 2026REGISTER Thursdays Art Speak is an opportunity to meet other artists and discuss artworks created within a common theme. It is a weekly challenge to listen, think, observe, elaborate, and commit to the creative process. Whatever skill level or medium used, the group supports an intimate space where all feels included, connected, respected, and excited to share courageous exploration. Course fee:   $90.00Deadline:       Thursday, September 24, 2026REGISTER Saturday An extension of Oxygen’s Life Drawing sessions, Working from a Model provides participants with a four-hour session to work from a professional model in any medium. The long duration supports students interested in developing a body of work or focusing on a single artwork from a single pose held (with breaks) for the duration of the session. Course fee: $50.00Deadline:       Friday, September 18, 2026  REGISTER The Flax Lab is a four-session exploration of flax from plant to textile. Through discussion, demonstration, and hands-on practice, participants will learn about growing, harvesting, retting, breaking, scutching, hackling, and preparing flax fibre. The course will then move into spinning and creating a small woven or knitted sample. Beginner-friendly and adaptable for experienced makers, the lab offers space to work at your own skill level while building a deeper understanding of flax, traditional processing methods, and the possibilities of locally grown fibre through shared experimentation.  Course fee:  $290.00 [all materials + equipment incl.]Deadline:      Friday, October 9, 2026 LEARN MORE O2 CALL TO ARTISTS Call to ArtistsO2: window exhibition space Deadline to apply:September 27, 2026, by 12 AM Midnight PSTAPPLY

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FOR   IMMEDIATE   RELEASE: CALL TO LOCAL ARTISTS FOR O2 WINDOW EXHIBITIONS

O2 window exhibition space

Call to Artists

Deadline:  September 27, 2026 at 12:00 AM Midnight PT

Applications accepted via Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMQMBFdaNhJYKRVWMqrw0LfA2358mV430BO5KZNjmm3yu3Mg/viewform?usp=header

Oxygen Art Centre is currently accepting proposals from artists and collectives for an alternative exhibition window space entitled “O2.” Applications will be accepted until September 27, 2026, by 12 AM Midnight.

O2 is a window. O2 is Oxygen Art Centre’s off-site gallery. Located on the Stanley Avenue side of the Nelson Trading Company building (430 Baker Street) in downtown Nelson, B.C., O2 is a window-turned-gallery. More details about the location, previous exhibitions, and how to apply can be found on Oxygen’s website.

Since 2023, O2 has presented exhibitions by the West Kootenay Fibreshed Artist Collective, Rayya Liebich, Bethany Pardoe, Michele Dupas, and the 2025 Art Speak cohort, to name a few.

We accept proposals from artists and collectives at all stages in their practices who are situated in the Columbia Basin/West Kootenay/Southern Interior B.C. region. Oxygen Art Centre encourages applications from BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and persons with disabilities. 

Artists will be paid a CARFAC fee for public exhibition and a material honorarium. Installations will be on view for two-month durations. Proposals will be considered for the artist-run centre’s 2027 Exhibition & Residency program at their remote window exhibition space.

Interested artists can submit their proposal to this call through the Google Form. Applicants can anticipate devoting 10 to 15 minutes completing the form. We thank all artists for their proposals, however only artists proceeding in the process will be contacted.

Learn about previous exhibitions at O2 by visiting Oxygen’s website: https://oxygenartcentre.org/exhibitions-residencies/o2-window-exhibition-space/ 

The deadline to apply to Oxygen Art Centre’s O2 Call to Artists is Sunday, September 27, 2026, by 12 AM Midnight PST.

Oxygen Art Centre’s main facility is located at #3-320 Vernon Street along the alleyway behind Baker Street in Nelson, British Columbia. More information about how to access the facility can be found on Oxygen’s website or by contacting info@oxygenartcentre.org. Admission to all events is free. 

This program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the Vancouver Foundation, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay ReDi program.

Image Credit (above): Bethany Pardoe, The Small Earth, Illustrations printed on paper, November 28, 2025, to January 16, 2026, O2 installation documentation, November 2025

Image Credit (below): O2 promotional graphic for September 2026 Call to Artists, 2026

Press Contact:

Julia Prudhomme

Executive Director

Oxygen Art Centre

info@oxygenartcentre.org

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Julia Prudhomme (she/her)

Executive Director / oxygen art centre

My regular office hours are Tuesday – Thursday, 9:00am – 2:00pm PT. Responses will be slow outside of this window. 

info@oxygenartcentre.org

www.oxygenartcentre.org

#3 – 320 Vernon St. Alley Entrance

Nelson, British Columbia, V1L 4E4

Oxygen Art Centre is is an artist-run centre located on the tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the Sn̓ʕaýckstx (Sinixt), Syilx and Ktunaxa Nations colonially known as the West Kootenay in the southeastern interior region of British Columbia, Canada.

We strive to listen, learn and grow respectful relationships with all those who have deep connections with this land and its waterways, including Métis and many diverse Indigenous persons. We honour their ongoing presence as stewards and carriers of knowledge.

We make this statement to recognize our privilege as uninvited guests and to reflect on our own connections to this place. Our responsibility as an artist-run centre is to uplift voices of justice, move at the speed of trust, and deepen understanding and relationships.

We are grateful for the financial support we receive from the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, BC Gaming, Province of BC, Government of Canada, Vancouver Foundation, Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Basin Trust, Regional District of Central Kootenay’s ReDi program, Osprey Community Foundation, United Way, Nelson Lions Club, and Nelson and District Credit Union.

We offer thanks to the Polka Dot Dragon Festival, the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival and other key partners including Hall Printing, Speedpro Signs, and Selkirk College for their support.

We especially thank our collaborators, volunteers, donors, and members.