Highly appreciated working bees at DAR
By Liliane Lessard
Highly appreciated working bees at DAR
Volunteers are always needed to help out with various chores at D'Arts et de rêves and working for a good cause is always heartwarming. Not everyone was called upon for the working bees described below, but some old timers and long-time volunteers, came out in February and March to work as a team.
With the health measures easing off, it will be easier for us to ask for your help in the coming months.
Working space for visual arts
When the barn was transformed, Studio A was set up to accommodate circus artists.
We had not yet made all the necessary installations to receive residents in visual arts. Hence industrial grade equipment and furniture were purchased this winter and a few volunteers transported and assembled workbenches, shelves, cabinets, and easels, in February and March. In short, Studios A and B are now well equipped: this will facilitate the work of residents in visual arts.
Here is a photo report of people at work.
Volunteers hard at work!
Pierre Surprenant and Gilles Lavoie proudly sit on the workbench they assembled on February 23rd with the help of Liliane Lessard. It must be said that this was a challenge because the manufacturer had omitted to include instructions to facilitate the assembly of the various components of this workbench installed in Studio A.
All the purchases had been delivered to Studio A, but as it so happens some of it had to be assembled and installed upstairs, so strong arms were needed to carry up the various components.
Visual artists without an easel, unthinkable! DAR purchased two beautiful and sturdy wooden easels: one for each studio. On March 1st, Natasha Evoy, along with her son Josepi, our youngest volunteer, assembled the Studio B easel. It must have been a difficult task because Josepi needed some time off...
Storage is a priority for an art studio. Natasha Evoy, Katherine Godbout, and Pierre Surprenant worked patiently on March 1st to assemble this cabinet in Studio B. Another one was also assembled in Studio A.
Gilles Lavoie and Liliane Lessard assembled three shelves, two in Studio B and one in Studio A. The first one (March 1st) was difficult to assemble because it was delivered without any instructions (guess what: the same supplier as the first workbench) so it was a huge trial and error learning process. The second and third ones (March 6th) were a breeze, we just had to use the first one as a model.
This workbench in Studio B was easier to set up because it came from another distributor and included a booklet that gave clear instructions. Add to that the fact that Pierre Surprenant had had experience with the first workbench, so this task on March 1st was relatively easy.
Moving a designer's table from one of the rooms in the artists’ residence to Studio B, easy, you might think? Not when the table is made of solid wood and the base of heavyweight metal. First it had to be dismantled; Pierre Surprenant took care of that and then he carried the wooden top upstairs. A little later, Gilles Lavoie and Liliane Lessard carried the base upstairs, which turned out to be quite a challenge with the staircase. This table now stands in front of one of the windows in Studio B.
Beautiful and practical installations in Studio B. Visual artists will surely be happy to work there.
Next Working Bee: Week of April 18th to 24th
We will need a few volunteers to help with the remaining jobs to ready the Studios for our Residents:
building furniture, installing shelving and storage units.
Want to volunteer?
If these photos make you want to join our friendly working bees, contact Natasha Evoy at D'Arts et de rêves!