About The GiftAbles Art Shop
SUPPORTIVE ARTS is a unique program offering arts-based learning and compelling artistic experiences developed by the Elora Centre for the Arts. Led by ECFTA Arts Educators, Judy Anderson and Stephanie Lines-Toohill, Supportive Arts welcomes individuals with (dis)abilities and their caregivers from Wellington County and the surrounding areas to a weekly program and aims to enhance the life of each individual through creativity and connection.
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Supportive Arts is generously funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Our Instructors
Stephanie Lines-Toohill brings her magical mix of compassion, creativity, and mindfulness each week to the Elora Centre for the Arts’ Supportive Arts program. She reminds us to look, listen, pause, and wonder. She helps us let go of our worries and to be brave. Steph also runs Sparrow Stories and the Sparrow’s Nest Makerspace, a collaborative community space to connect children and young teens in Elora. If she’s not in our classroom dressing up for a class, you might find her wandering the forest, looking for inspiration. Stephanie has been leading youth art groups for over 15 years. She champions the process of each artist as a curious explorer.
Judy Anderson is an artist and educator and manages all aspects of programming at the Elora Centre for the Arts. She has run the Supportive Arts program since 2017, creating art projects that embrace diversity and are engaging for artists of all abilities. Judy is passionate for creativity in all its forms and is particularly fascinated by shadowy storytelling, the curious imaginations of children, and the unique abilities within each of us. Judy studied at Ontario College of Art & Design and the University of Guelph. She makes her playful and peculiar brand of art under the name kukucaju.com
Shop Our Art
Meet The Artists
Taylor is a newer Artist who started dabbling in the Arts about four years ago. Taylor loves to paint and his favourite subject to paint is flowers. The Supportive Arts program has been a life-changing experience to him. Stephanie and Judy (and volunteers) have been amazing teachers for him and have taught him and his fellow Artists so much about art. When he's not painting up a storm Taylor enjoys attending program at the Live & Learn Centre, cheering on the Guelph Storm and participating in the Special Olympics.
Taylor
Matt C.
Matt has been making Art for a very long time. Matt started making Art in High School and hasn't looked back since! Matt's favourite way to make Art is by painting and he especially loves painting bears! In his spare time, Matt enjoys bowling, watching the Maple Leafs play on TV and cheering on the Guelph Storm!
JD has been doing various art projects since Grade Nine. JD loves to draw in his sketch book. Other people are JD's favourite subject to draw. JD loves the Supportive Arts program because he gets to participate in different activities. When JD is not drawing he loves watching movies, cooking and making and mailing greeting cards.
JD
Bill has been doing art for five years. Bill loves to draw while he's on his daily walks. Bill loves to draw scenery and nature. At Supportive Arts Bill especially loves painting and working with clay. In Bill's spare time he loves walking, spending time in the community and playing video games.
Bill
Jessica has been doing art since she was very young. Jessica loves drawing with markers. Jessica enjoys drawing any idea that comes to mind. Jessica's favourite thing about Supportive Arts is getting to try new things. In her spare time Jessica enjoys dancing, listening to music and going on the computer.
Jessica
Kerri has been an artist since she was ten years old. Kerri is an avid painter who brings her art to life with each and every stroke. Kerri watches for rainbows in the sky and in the community and loves painting the colours she sees. Kerri enjoys attending the Supportive Arts program because she is able to have lots of projects to show her family. In Kerri’s spare time she is a basketball superstar, a pet owner extraordinaire and Beauty and the Beast enthusiast.
Kerri
Julie has been making since she was a toddler. Julie’s favourite ways to make art are knitting and drawing. Julie knits hats and she donates them to her church, Julie also sells some of the hats that she knits. Julie loves drawing her signature flowers and they can be found on most of Julie’s work. Julie looks forward to attending the Supportive Arts program because she enjoys learning from the instructors and seeing how funny and goofy they are. In her spare time Julie enjoys babysitting her nieces, dancing and cooking spaghetti and meatballs.
Julie M.
Jessie started her art career at the young age of two. Jessie has learned so much in her artist years and continues to add to her artistic style. Jessie loves painting and has a knack for using music to help her paint what she hears. Jessie also loves to draw and colour using the same colours as the North Atlantic Ocean. The Supportive Arts program is important to Jessie because she feels so happy having a space to do art. When Jessie is not making art she loves telling others about Leonardo DiCaprio, spending time with her mom, dad, sister and dogs and dancing to her favourite music.
Jessie
Ella
Ella has been making art her entire life. Ella’s favourite way to make art is drawing. Ella absolutely loves drawing beautiful flowers and plants. Ella looks forward to Supportive Arts because she gets to meet new people while doing one of her favourite activities. In Ella’s spare time she loves doing laundry, spending time with her family and helping clean up the house.
Jason
Jason has always enjoyed drawing and began when he was young. When Jason began attending Supportive Arts his interest in different styles of art grew and he developed a real passion for different kinds of art. Jason is appreciative of the Supportive arts program, the instructors and the volunteers because they have taught him a lot. In his spare time Jason enjoys lifting weights, Jason is a movie buff and loves listening to Metallica.
Susie has been making art for about five years. Susie enjoys doodling. Susie especially loves doodling while she is watching her favourite soap operas and sketching her favourite characters. Susie's favourite Soap Operas are General Hospital and the Young and The Restless. Susie looks forward to attending the Supportive Arts programs because she gets to do different art projects with her friends. Some of Susie’s favourite things in life are her family, travelling and visiting and watching all different kinds of sports.
Susie
Brant began his art career in elementary school. Brant enjoys a mixed media style of art and gathers his inspiration from what he sees in the world around him. Brant looks forward to the Supportive Arts program because he finds drawing inspiring. In his spare time Brant enjoys playing and watching hockey, listening to music, watching movies and hanging out with his friends and family.
Brant
Sarah
Sarah has been making art for a long time. Sarah enjoys drawing using pens. Sarah loves drawing and sketching different kinds of animals. Sarah’s favourite animal to draw is a deer. Sarah looks forward to attending the Supportive Arts Programs because she has lots of fun making art. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys: talking with friends, spending time with her family and playing with her dog.
Tabi
Tabi started making art when she was very young. Tabi especially loves drawing and making bracelets. Tabi likes to make bracelets to give out to the other people in her life. When Tabi is drawing she loves to draw her friends and her favourite Frozen characters. Tabi enjoys attending the Supportive Arts Program because the instructors make it so much fun by dressing up in theme to the art project of the day. Tabi loves spending her summers at her Getaway Cottager, walking her dog Gabe and having sleepovers with her friends and family.
Scott
Scott has been making art since he was quite young. Scott has a passion for all different types of art. Scott’s main source of artistic inspiration is his favourite country, Canada. Scott enjoys going to Supportive Arts because he loves showing the instructors his obsession with Canada and how it works into his art. In his spare time Scott enjoys visiting Canadian attractions, going to Canadian restaurants and seeing Canadian live shows.
Ian
Ian has been an artist for about three years. Ian deeply enjoys making any kind of art and finds it difficult to pick a favourite medium because he loves them all so much. Ian gathers inspiration for his art from landscapes, animals and sports. Ian looks forward to attending the Supportive Arts program because he is given the opportunity to try new things. While Ian isn’t making art he loves watching hockey and Disney, learning new spells from the world of Harry Potter and spending time with his friends.
Jeremy has been an artist since he was 24 years old. Jeremy prefers drawing using pencils and finishing colours with pencil crayons. Jeremy enjoys drawing buildings, cars and characters. Supportive Arts has been a positive influence in Jeremy’s life. Supportive Arts has taught him lots of new skills and allowed him to express himself in ways he wasn’t able to before. When Jeremy isn’t drawing he loves listening to music, playing video games and biking/hiking.
Jeremy
Andrew
Andrew has been making art since he was a child. Andrew prefers to paint and loves using all of the colours in the rainbow. Andrew loves painting animals and his favourite animal is an alligator. Andrew loves attending the Supportive Arts program because doing arts brings him great joy. Andrew loves The Walking Dead and the movie Doom with The Rock, Andrew is a skilled gamer and enjoys taking care of his pets.
Emily
Emily has been making art since she was little. Emily loves pottery and enjoys making bowls and plates and adding them to her collection. Emily loves painting and colouring. She loves to gather inspiration from her imagination as well as from her role model and superstar love, The Good Doctor. Emily enjoys sharing her love of painting with her nephew. Emily looks forward to participating in the Supportive Arts program because it gives her a great start to the morning and helps her open up. Emily has a flair for the dramatics and enjoys making sure her family knows it, Emily loves helping her dad on the farm and Emily loves having fun with her friends and family.
Korbyn
Korbyn is a long-time artist and has been working hard on his signature drawings from a very young age. Korbyn works with pencils, pencil crayons and markers to create unique and wonderful pieces based on his personal Lego Collection as well as figures and sets he’d like to add. Korbyn especially loves drawing figures from the Bionicle collection. Korbyn enjoys the Supportive Arts program because he gets to try out new styles of art. In his spare time Korbyn enjoys watching movies, building lego, spending time with his family and riding his bike.
Hayley has been an artist since she was very young. She first started making art in school. Hayley’s favourite way to make art is drawing and she loves to draw animals. Hayley’s favourite animal is an owl. Hayley enjoys attending the Supportive Arts program because she gets to learn different kinds of art. When Hayley isn’t drawing she loves reading, colouring and making crafts.
Hayley
Julie P. has been making art for her entire life. Julie loves all kinds of art and enjoys trying new styles. Julie gathers inspiration for her art through nature, especially plants and animals. Julie enjoys the Supportive Arts program because she likes learning new things about art. Outside of art Julie enjoys gardening, watching the Montreal Canadiens and being an avid reader.
Julie P.
Matt K has been making art since he started attending school. Matt loves drawing and especially drawing his favourite film characters. Matt looks forward to Supportive Arts days because he enjoys seeing all of the instructors and volunteers and working on different projects. When he is not creating art Matt is an avid movie buff and collector, enjoys playing sports and spending time with his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.
Matthew (MJK)
Zach’s passion for art began when he was a child. Zach especially enjoys painting. Zach prefers to paint pictures of the people he connects with in his life but also loves painting pictures of animals. Zach enjoys meeting the guest instructors that come to the Supportive Arts program and learning from them. In Zach’s spare time he loves watching sports, spending time with his family and being outside.
Zach
Jerrett
Jerrett is a new and upcoming artist who recently found his passion for the arts. Jerrett has discovered a love for using markers to draw anything that comes to mind. Jerrett loves attending the Supportive Arts program. Jerrett’s favourite part of the program is working with the instructors and volunteers and learning from them. When Jerrett isn’t drawing he enjoys watching tv, talking with his friends and spending time with his family (especially his 3 nieces and 1 nephew).
Kyle
Kyle has recently started enjoying making art. Kyle loves drawing and listening to music while he creates. Kyle loves drawing characters from his favourite pop culture references but finds peace in drawing anything he comes up with. Through Covid-19 lockdowns Kyle and his friend started a drawing club through Zoom that would meet weekly and gave them the chance to connect, share their art and learn from each other. The Supportive Arts classes are important to Kyle because he is able to try new art mediums and have projects and ideas to share with his family. In his spare time Kyle enjoys photography in the community, making music and dancing up a storm.
David
David J has been making art since he started kindergarten. David’s favourite style of art is drawing. David focuses his art on illustrating Disney Characters, especially the Donkey from Pinocchio. David enjoys the Supportive Arts program because he gets to try out different styles of art. In his spare time David enjoys watching movies, singing in his choir and spending time with his family.
Max
Max has enjoyed creating art since he was a kid. Max loves drawing and adding colour to his art with pencil crayons. Max currently has a passion for drawing Shrek in all different shades of green. Max looks forward to attending Supportive Arts because he gets to learn different skills and try out different things. When Max isn’t drawing he loves watching movies, he is star on the basket-ball court and rocking out to AC/DC.
Rachel has been an artist since the age of five. Rachel loves drawing in her sketchbooks. Rachel enjoys drawing people that she meets in real life as well as people from imaginary worlds. Rachel looks forward to attending the Supportive Arts program because it is a beautiful place to work. Rachel loves shopping, is a fashion guru and is amazing at designing new and cool fashion trends.
Rachel
Matt H.
Matt H is a newer and very talented artist. Matt enjoys painting and experimenting with different colours and techniques. Matt enjoys most work that he does in art but seems to especially enjoy the outdoor scenes. At the Supportive Arts Program Matt enjoys meeting new people and having a place to paint away. In Matt’s spare time he enjoys going for walks, spending time outdoors and being with his family.
Galen has recently begun to really enjoy the art making process. Galen loves working with different paints and mixing media. Galen loves the Supportive Arts program because he enjoys visiting with his friends while creating all kinds of magnificent art. In his spare time Galen loves cheering for the Maple Leafs, spending time with his brothers and going outside.
Galen
Andrew has started making art in High School and has enjoyed attending the Supportive Arts program in recent years. Andrew loves painting and drawing. Andrew enjoys painting airplanes, trains and race cars. Andrew enjoys the Supportive Arts program because he looks forward to making new art with the instructors and volunteers. Andrew loves spending time with family and friends, going out to the library and going to church and listening to the music.