The Artist Incubator
Not your ordinary artist studio.
As part of our mandate of nurturing creativity through the arts, Glenhyrst has created an annual eight month Artist Incubator program with limited enrolment. Housed in The Cottage on the grounds of the gallery, the incubator offers both working studio space and a curated professional development program for working artists at all levels.
Meet the Artists:
Jonathan Barker’s inspiration is whimsical toy design and toyetic narrative design. After graduating from the Illustration Program at Sheridan College Jonathan worked as a freelance children's book illustrator and comic book artist. Jonathan's work explores themes of disability, adaptability and finding a new normal when reality flips upside down.
Kim Clark is an abstract and representational artist that lives and works in Brantford, ON from her home studio. She works primarily in acrylic on wood panel and strives to create work that creates a tranquil, calm place for the viewer to rest their eyes and draw them into a thirty second vacation from every day life. For the past 5 years, Kim has been painting full time, working on developing her signature style, practicing and honing her craft, and learning all she could through classes at various venues in Southern Ontario, as well as artist mentorships through Mastrius with masters Veronica Funk and Lori Siebert. Currently, Kim is exploring the juxtaposition of highly abstract and textured backgrounds, with semi realistic and detailed foregrounds. Recent series have been inspired by The Elements; water, air, earth, fire, Modern Florals, Trees, and Lighthouses. She has exhibited her work at McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton, The Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Toronto, Paris Bohemian Gallery, Taren White Gallery, Groundswell Coworking, Genworth Financial in Oakville, and other venues throughout Southern Ontario. Her works are held in private collections throughout Canada and the United Kingdom.
Karolyn Petersson (she/her/hers) With knives and colour palettes in hand, Karolyn Petersson is an Ojibwe-Swedish visual artist who creates magnetic and textured pieces that mirror how she engages the world around her. As the daughter of visually impaired parents, a surgical nurse and an artist, Karolyn blends together her passion for art, with her medical training to increase access to art and bring paintings to the fingertips of visually impaired communities. Her talent for creative expression was evident at an early age, and her artistic practice was reinvigorated and formalized during the phases of isolation and introspection of the early COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Karolyn participated in an art battle where she produced an original painting on a skateboard deck to fundraise for the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. Recently, London Arts Council purchased two original paintings by Karolyn for their permanent Indigenous Arts Collection. Currently, Karolyn is rooting herself firmly in her artistic style. Karolyn believes in the healing power of arts and is working towards continuing to bridge relationships through art in her own art therapy practice.
Paul Smith is a photographer and visual artist based in Brantford Ontario. He graduated from Sheridan College for Applied Photography in 2008 and has worked in the creative arts ever since. Although he has been a professional photographer for 15 years, his hidden passion has always been painting. Allowing his understanding of light to inform his style of painting, he explores themes of nostalgia, isolation, and modernity. Working primarily with acrylic on canvas, Paul is also inspired by the natural landscapes of Ontario. With in-laws from Northern Ontario, Paul has had the privilege of seeing many parts of the province in all seasons. Paul has a warm relationship with Glenhyrst, taking part in summer art camps as a child and later being a camp counselor in his teen years.
Connect with Paul:
Instagram: @paulsmith_va