Blog - Joanne Probyn Art

Introducing Flourish Art Group

Flourish Art Group is a female arts collective sprung from Vancouver-based THRIVE Art Studio. THRIVE was founded by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Lee Bennett (née Tara Galuska). Many of us met around 2018 through mastermind groups and art shows. Today THRIVE offers a wonderful online network that I highly recommend. I remain involved. It’s a great place for any female artist to connect and grow skills.

Our group began meeting in person at The PROFILE Coworking Club about eight months before the pandemic. Jen Clark was our fearless leader. Our meetings moved online when we could no longer meet in person due to public safety guidelines. It’s hard to believe nobody knew what Zoom was back then! For many people around the world, it’s an integral part of daily life now. We are fifteen months into the pandemic at the time of this post. Many original members our group still remain. Our format has changed to include broader discussions and artist talks. It was time to give us a name.

_{Flourish Art Group Zoom call, June 2021. Clockwise from top left, Susan Jessop, Joanne Probyn, Lindsay MacMillan and Ash Woodworth.}

This group has been a pillar of comfort, inspiration and strength to me throughout the pandemic. When blursday described the day of the week, borders suddenly closed, art shows cancelled and our worlds turned upside down, we still had us. Only now we were safe in our living rooms.

Each artist brings her own unique skill set and creative style. We are an unlikely artist collective. Styles range from illustration, to abstraction and realism. We are at different ages and career stages. Some are mothers, some are not. Some early members include a mural artist, poet and even a circus performer. That performer, Renee Mak, graciously launched a wonderful online life drawing group that I was part of for many months early on in the pandemic. It grounded me in a difficult time and informed my art practice. Sadly, many performers were out of work. Renee kindly did her part to help her friends make some money. I digress, but it’s important. This group supported me when I launched Make Safe Brigade, a mask-making coalition. More on that later.

We are a passionate, kind, creative group. We strive to grow as individuals and as a collective. It’s simple yet very special. We help each other flourish in art and life. This is especially important in the art world. Female artists are undervalued and underrepresented.

One thing I know for sure? I’m lucky to have this gang in my corner!

Members:

FLOURISH ~ ACTIVE MEMBERS (alphabetical)
@thechowstudio Maggie Chow
@naturescardigan Susan Jessop
@janaraynemac Jana Rayne MacDonald
@lindsaymacmillanart Lindsay Macmillan
@mira_creates Miranda Maslany
@probynart Joanne Probyn
@ashwoodworth Ash Woodworth
SPECIAL MENTIONS
@jamiesmithstudio Jamie Smith
@tara.lee.bennett Tara Lee Bennett
@jenclark.art Jen Clark
@renee.mak Renee Mak
@lindschroeder Lindsay Schroeder
@karladeco_ Karla Decoran

Your Crawling Guide – The Essentials

Below is my unofficial Eastside Culture Crawl guide. I hope it will offer some insights on how to get the most out of your art experience! Really, a guide? Yes! Even the seasoned Crawler can feel overwhelmed or finish unaware of the many wonderful ways to engage with the art community that are available. I’ve participated as an artist and attended several times. Embark on your art journey feeling confident and leaving inspired, enriched and connected to Vancouver’s thriving art scene!

Eastside Culture Crawl is BC’s second largest art festival known to attract as many as 45,000 visitors over four days.

Crawling is like traveling to a new city. It’s all about managing priorities and preferences. Personally, I like a focused plan that allows some time for the unexpected. I think this holds true for having a great Crawl as well.

You do you! It’s your Crawl. Whatever you decide you’ll have a great time. You really can’t lose. Here’s some ideas to help you set your course!

Crawling Tips

Make a Plan
You can’t see every artist or every building. Don’t even try. Some kind of game plan is a must! Here are ideas to consider, from strategic to casual.
a) The Seriously Fun Plan
This plan is for the most ambitious Crawler, someone who does the research, starts early, finishes late. Get started by reviewing the Eastside Culture Crawl Catalogue or online artist profiles. Select your top six artists. Map out the corresponding buildings. Know your top three must-see artists. It’s so easy to run out of time with so many talented artists to see and that can easily sidetrack you. Start early on Thursday night to kick-start your tour allowing time to come back later, if desired. Another idea is to get artist intel and socialize at one of several opening receptions. Preview exhibits are typically curated by important Vancouver curators. These shows give you an sampling of who they thought best represents this year’s artists out of hundreds of submissions! Attending will give you a taste of our vibrant, art scene while giving you a sense of which creators you might like to learn more about or visit later. Not to mention, attending will give you opportunities to speak with some of the artists. Finally, some art collectives and artists have their own preview events before the Crawl, including the art collective I am in, Eastside Atelier. We are hosting an exclusive friends and family Pre-Crawl Preview weekend. You’re invited! Attending a preview will give you more time with the artists to learn about their work and make decisions. You’ll also see the best selection of art to simply enjoy or buy.
b) The Building Strategy
Bad weather expected? No time to research? Visit one of the large buildings. Eastside Atelier is the second largest, Vancouver art collective with over 40 artists, many who are in the Eastside Culture Crawl. Other large buildings include Parker, Mergatroid, Arts Factory, Portside and Arc. Some buildings have food trucks nearby! Pick a building. Go have fun. Easy peasy! 🙂
c) The Explorer
If you like to be outside, have already conquered the large buildings, or are an adventurer, The Explorer might be the plan for you! There are so many wonderful artists who work from a home studio or one of the many smaller buildings who would love to share their work with you. Pick one of your favourite artists or a choose random place on the map then meander out from there. I’m a history and architecture buff. So, one of my favorite, walkable Crawl areas is the historical Strathcona region. Consider starting at Paneficio Gallery and Studios. Did you know the Crawl started in this building 26 years ago!? You’ll be sure to discover some wonderful artists in surprising places! Pick an Eastside Culture Crawl Building.
Get a Map
Typically, the Crawl produces a pamphlet with a map. In past years, I downloaded PDF map or used their App. At this time, it seems the online map is what’s available and possibly printed maps. Not sure. This may change as we get closer to November 17th. In the meantime, check out the buildings/map here. Printed pamphlets are often distributed to libraries, coffee shops and community centres. Of course, you can go right to the source and pick up a map directly Culture Crawl Office Tue/Thurs 10am – 3pm. Where are pamphlets are in your neighbourhood? Drop a line below in the comments!
Discover Supporting Events
The Crawl is so much more than the art studios tours! There are several, multi-venue, preview shows, opening receptions, artist demos, talks, performances and film screenings that may be of interest. Too many to mention! Explore Crawl Events now!
Be a Supporter
Supporting the arts has never been more important. If you’re able to contribute financially, there are several ways you can help Eastside Culture Crawl remain a valuable source of art and connection for the creative community. Check out the wildly successful Art Roulette or Silent Auction or Collector’s Cocktail Party! Have fun and take home a beautiful work of art for a good cause.
Stay in the Know – Get Reminders!
– Join My Mailing List or the Eastside Atelier Artists Mailing List –or both–for invites and updates
– Follow the Eastside Culture Crawl and Eastside Atelier Artists on Instagram
Look for Crawl Signage
Some buildings will have black, cast iron crows fixed on the side or snazzy A-Frame signs on sidewalks. I love these cute kiddos and can’t wait to see them again soon! 🙂 Annnnnnnd, Eastside Atelier is super proud to soon show off our very own A-Frame sign. As a collective, we pooled our limited resources and volunteers made it happen. Go team! Special thanks to Christina Peressini for her beautiful, minimalist design.

That’s all for now, folks! Come back later as I update with more tips later. What’s your favourite way to Crawl? Leave your tips in the comments!

Squeegee Paint Nite Recap!

97.5% satisfying and useful! 🙂

I volunteered at this event and it was such fun. Everyone had a unique painting. Plus Joanne took time to share techniques and do quite a bit of on the spot teaching. I highly recommend you take one of her art classes. Everyone was so highly engaged and came away with some beautiful and mindful masterpieces. Well done !

Natalie Wai

Vancouver School Board Special Education, English Language Arts and Ell; Summer School Administrator, Secondary Completion and Skills Development; Community Schools Teacher; and Ell Department Head – International Student Advisor – Vsta Representative

On Sunday, April 30, 2023, I launched Create with Joanne!, a series of art workshops. The first class was Amazing Squeegee Paint Nite held at my studio in Eastside Atelier in East Vancouver.

I love teaching. With over eight years guiding therapeutic art classes, private consulting and many more years of professional experience, I’m once again ready and excited to share my knowledge. It will be wonderful to see how these lessons will enhance people’s creative skills, well-being and, of course, their walls, graced with their own unique, beautiful art!

It was such a delightful day! The workshop ran from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. I was so grateful Natalie Wai was there to help me with all the last minute details. There were a lot of preparations, both on the same day and weeks before.

I bought new three new tables, table cloths, paints, squeegees and spray bottles. Students were introduced to the historical context of squeegee art and guided in the painting process. I developed a nine page document with step-by-step instructions. Finished paintings were created and referenced for examples.

Great workshop! It was fun and I’m very excited to hang my piece ☺️

Anonymous Student

Amazing Squeegee Paint Nite

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The event was sold out! There were eight students and each person was provided their own table setting of art supplies including an 11 x 14 inch canvas, an additional sized, cold-press, acid-free, watercolor board and all the tools they needed to create abstract art, including a variety of squeegees, brushes, scrapers and over 50 paints to choose from.

We began with a brief mindfulness exercise to soothe and ready ourselves. I completed an 8 week mindfulness program based off of Jon Kabat Zinn’s world-renowned University of Massachusetts program. It was meaningful to weave awareness into the programming. Abstract art feels most rewarding and produces the best results when deeply connected to ourselves while creating.

Each student chose their color palette. I provided painting demonstrations and one-on-one instruction at various points throughout the day, including advice on paint types, composition, layering, focal points, movement, texture, depth and line and contrast.

Thanks so much. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. You did a great job of creating a safe and comfortable space for a novice.

Anonymous attendee

Amazing Squeegee Paint Nite

There was one snag. We blew the fuse. Going forward we’ll dry paintings in hallway and kitchen area. After all, it was a happy accident, as Bob Ross would say. The sink hallway area is the best location as it will keep the working area quieter.

Natalie Wai was an all-star, volunteer assistant providing student guidance and cleaning support. I’m very grateful. Students were able to focus on creating and I was able to guide students as much a possible. The success was in large part to Natalie’s graceful help.

Many of the students were new to art entirely; all were new to squeegee painting. I was delighted with how unique and beautiful their masterpieces were. Congrats to all attendees for their great work!

Save the date! My next workshop is on Sunday, June 11th, 1:00 – 3:00 pm.

If you would like to volunteer for an art workshop, please contact me for more information.

This workshop was a great introduction for non-artists. Joanne was informative and patient throughout the workshop, giving helpful tips and encouragement. Highly recommend this small-size class!

Anonymous “Happy Participant”

Amazing Squeegee Paint Nite

Gallery Curated into Artsy

I’m thrilled to announce that my work, Pink, was curated into an Artsy! My work was selected through Artist Alliance by Jen Tough Gallery!

Artsy began in 2009 and has become the most prestigious online art marketplace. With over one million artworks for sale by over 4,000 galleries they offer a huge selection of work. Despite the large numbers, this US-based, global platform is exclusive.

Artsy carved out a spot a the top implementing layers of qualification. Individual artists are not accepted; artists need gallery representation. This means, there’s pre-qualifying going on at the back end. Galleries also apply to be accepted.

It’s a beautiful show that I’m honoured to be part of. I hope you’ll check out the online exhibition.

Let me know what you think!

Taking Shape: Abstraction to Figuration

by Jen Tough Gallery’s Artist Alliance

March 15 – June 15, 2023

* Source

Pink by Joanne Probyn. 14″ x 11″. Acrylic on Canvas. Inquire for more information.

Music Concerts Take Flight with Tamami Maitland

The launch of my concert series began on Saturday, January 7th. This series is an ongoing part of First Saturday, held in my art studio at Eastside Atelier located at 10B – 1310 William Street. Tamami Maitland played at Eastside Atelier’s Pre-Crawl Preview event in November 2022. The feedback was outstanding! So, I invited her back to be my first performer. First Saturday is an open-studio, art crawl that takes place at over 100 art studios across the Lower Mainland on the first Saturday of every month. I’m on the steering committee helping connect the Lower Mainland’s art aficionados and artists. Tamami and I both reference love, nature and positivity in our work while seeing creativity as a vessel for connection and healing. I curated my artwork to compliment Tamami’s music. She sat in front of Between the Light and A Delicate Balance; I speak to regrowth and pay homage to Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, through polka dots. Polka dots signify joy and love to Kusama. I designed and printed posters and handouts. Tamami came by one day to pick up posters and stayed to help me hang my A Delicate Balance. I really enjoyed collaborating with Tamami. We both did our best to get the word out in all the ways people do these days.

Tamami Maitland and Ian Wijesinghe perform as a duo at Joanne Probyn Art, Eastside Atelier during First Saturday

My art studio is located among dozens of others in a warehouse that’s about 100 years old. The unremarkable, grey building is shaped like a U; it was once a sewing factory. For the last 30 years it has been an incubator for creativity, filled with painters, ceramicists and photographers to name a few. For a long time, there was a couple who used to sublet from the owners. They rented some of the space to artists. After many years, the couple left in 2020 and the owners built out a new artist’s wing on the east side. If you follow the yellow line, it leads you to my studio. This transition point was during the pandemic; it was awkward to say the least (there’s a long story). By some good luck and hard work the studios are still here. The original wood floors hold stories in their miscellany between the cracks and in their splashes and dents. And now I’ve left my mark. One of my favorite relics is the old clawfoot tub. I’ve brought an old carpet that has more history than I know. It was a given to me secondhand from my sister years ago and lugged it around since; it’s a perfect floor covering for a painter. I’ve grown to love the vintage, industrial, 4-drawer, filing cabinet. Most of my furniture has some kind of history, which makes the room eclectic and comfortable. I spend a lot of time there and enjoy hosting; so, cozy and welcoming is a must.

Tamami Maitland, singer/songwriter/pianist and Ian Wijesinghe, bass guitar, arrived 45 minutes before the show to set up. I hurried to light fake candles and angle spot lights as I had planned out days before. I was delighted the two were so happy with how I was setting the stage, including the disco light. I set the red dots to move at slowly like sunlit leaves floating on gentle stream. These spots traveled across black light that breathed new life into my neon paintings.

Soon guests arrived, taking in their surroundings and finding their way to a spot where they could settle. John Gojevic, a friend through Glen Brauer and Meaningful Discussions, kindly stepped in to emcee the event; he gave a wonderful introduction. The duo kicked off their first 45 minute set promptly at 2:30pm and their show was wonderful! It was a full house with little room left to sit. Tamami’s songs illuminated the east wing of Eastside Atelier. She took us on a gentle flight on the wings of love and positivity, lifted by the textures and colors of nature. I kept running to other art studios to borrow more chairs! Following the duo’s first set, there was a 15 minute break planned. The musicians talked warmly amongst the guests. Light refreshments were served. Some attendees lingered and stayed for a second set as room allowed. The second show started at 3:38pm. At the end, everyone clapped for an encore and they played one more song. The event ended at 4:40pm. Some people lingered to chat and help while others left to explore the open art studios at Eastside Atelier.

My hope is that this series holds space for soothing the soul and deeply appreciating music and art while celebrating community, culture and collaboration. I also hope to introduce new people to Eastside Atelier and First Saturday.

The concerts are inspired by my life in New York. I attended a jazz concert during my two years living in Harlem. One Sunday, I journeyed to the private residence of Marjorie Eliot. I was welcomed into her apartment and invited to sit and enjoy an intimate concert for free. We were served juice boxes and a granola bar. No alcohol. No filming. I sat by a sheer curtain that blue away from window in the summer wind. That moment locked in. I wish I could remember everyone who performed that day; for certain, Marjorie played the piano. She and her son, Rudel Drears have been hosting intimate jazz concerts there over over 20 years. They now attract an audience from around the world. I encourage you to watch this YouTube video about Parlor Entertainment in Harlem. Thanks Ms. Eliot and Mr. Rudel for the experience, for that was the slow-growing seed that would eventually become this project miles away in Vancouver. I would probably not have undertaken this series without the encouragement and guidance of Mike Ferraro, my guitar teacher. Not to mention, all the special friends who have supported this in so many ways from arranging furniture and art, emcee’ing, musician coordination, video production, dishwashing and so much more. Thanks to the artists at Eastside Atelier who supported this event. I’m grateful the help of John Gojevic, Lily Eskandari, Victoria Mitchell, Andres Salaz, Leah Hoeve and Danny for offering volunteer support. Shout out to Glen Brauer for his new friend-connecting platform, buddytree. Last but not least, thanks to the wonderful, attentive audience of about 50 people who attended over two 45 minute shows, including a handful of listeners from the hallway. Guests represented two distinct groups of friends and a handful of entirely new people. The room was bright with well-wishers! Many people said they had never had an experience like this. I found it uplifting, heart-warming and unforgettable! Exactly what I hoped for.

Tamami Maitland hails from Osaka, Japan and has lived in Vancouver for over ten years. She trained at Berklee and Capilano University. Tamami was invited to play for five festival concerts in 2022 and was recently featured in Burnaby Now. Tamami will be travelling to Japan this year, embarking on first-ever Japanese concert tour.

I’m so grateful for all who donated or have collected my art! Your generosity helps me continue bringing inspiring art and music to you. For those of you who hoped to attend her concert but couldn’t… you’re in luck! Thanks to Danny for putting this great video together showcasing Tamami’s concert and First Saturday. Enjoy!

“It was an AMAZING experience! Joanne is so wonderful. I was inspired by all of her amazing hand picked curated art for this show to align with my music!! She even prepared the lighting and some refreshment for the guests!! Thanks to Joanne and her friends’ thoughtful arrangement and preparation, it became one of the most memorable experiences for me. I’m so grateful that so many people came to my show. Thank you so much for everyone who came!! It means a world to me and I am so happy to have been able to experience this event together with all of you. So many people told me that it was a brilliant idea to have art and music together like this event and that they loved it. It was one of my strong wishes to collaborate with visual artists for many years and I can’t believe it actually came true! I absolutely loved everything she did to put this show together. I appreciate it so much! I look forward to collaborating together many times more in the future.”
Tamami Maitland

Photos below are captured on January 14, 2019. Images are by and shared with permission from Alessandro Fasce who is based in Genova, Italy. He hopes to come to Vancouver to see one of my concerts one day.

Join us on Saturday, February 4th for the next concert. I’m so thrilled announce Zach Kleisinger will be performing! We are so lucky! I hope to see you there. Learn more.

Marjorie Eliot’s Parlor Entertainment Harlem
555 Edgecombe Avenue Suite 3F (Buzzer, #107, New York, NY 10032, United States
3:00pm – 5:30pm Sundays

Celebrating One Year at First Saturday!

Celebrating one year as a First Saturday steering committee member! I’ve been a participating artist for 14 months. It’s been a wonderful experience! Being on the First Saturday steering committee has inspired my creative practices in ways that also help me serve the creative community better. Special thanks to Victoria Mitchell who encouraged me to join. I’ve met so many great people and had a fabulous time collaborating on many projects. We’ve achieved some pretty cool things! I’m part of an amazing team lead by Valerie Artzen. Committee members also include Marney-Rose Edge, Tannis Hopkins, Loring Pollack, Dana Cromie, Tana Lynn, Kevin Melanson, Victoria Mitchell, Jennifer Harwood and Christina Peressini.

Some of my achievements over the past year include:

Establishing an outreach calendar resulting in a new committee role
Implementing a new advertising strategy including negotiations that lead to a new, multi-year agreement with high profile arts publication, Preview Magazine!
Launched a new program in spring 2022 allowing artists to practice their public speaking at Creative Mornings held in SFU Woodward’s. This resulted in Creative Mornings offering First Saturday partner status in January 2023! We are in good company with organizations like Mailchimp, Capilano University, Slack and others.
Onboarded volunteer, Christina Peressini, who made an awesome A-Frame sign for Eastside Atelier’s First Saturday
Created a new live music series attracting new attendees to Eastside Atelier while building awareness of First Saturday throughout the Lower Mainland and beyond
Onboarded and art directed resident photographer, Paul Newton, in creating new photos of First Saturday at Eastside Atelier

Year-Over-Year Results

Attendance and membership have been the committee’s primary goals.

First Saturday attendance was up 900% for some studios
Membership is up 33% year-over-year, despite a new fee structure that increased dues

Hip hip hurray! 🙂

What’s next?

I plan to continue helping with First Saturday. Through managing Creative Morning speakers and continuing the music series I will focus on highest impact activities that support First Saturday. Hope to see you at one of the events!

Learn more!

First Saturday
Live music at my art studio durning First Saturday FAQ

Have you been to First Saturday? How did you hear about it? Do you enjoy the event? Any suggestions, questions or comments? Share your thoughts below! Thank you.