Creativity Studios

The Creativity Studios are located on the second floor of the Tett. These eight studio spaces are home to eleven local artists at all stages of their careers and from a variety of disciplines. As a part of their commitment to the Tett, Creativity Studio artists contribute community engagement hours to help more people in Kingston experience the arts and art-making. Drop by to see what they're working on!

For information about specific days and events, visit: TettCentre.org/events

Creativity Studios Resident Artists

Yessica Rivera Belsham (Yessica.ca)is a multidisciplinary artist residing in Kingston. She is an alumni of Ontario College Art & Design University and currently a student of St. Lawrence College/Laurentian University in the Science in Nursing Degree Program. Her passion for her own Mexican heritage inspires her. She works in the intersection of painting, drawing, sculpting, creating jewelry, sewing, drumming, singing, and workshop facilitation across the Kingston community. Yessica has been a drummer and dancer in Brazilian, Tahitian, West African, and Indigenous Mexican performances/ceremonies. Her background in healthcare and creative arts are rooted in her healing arts practice with Circle of Wellness and in her annual Dia de los Muertos Kingston Festival.

Phoebe Cohoe (phoebecohoe.com) is an artist and educator working here in Kingston. In her artistic practice she works primarily in printmaking, drawing and installation media, and loves community art and collaborative projects. She completed her BFA and B.Ed (specialization: Artist in Community Education) at Queen's University.

Patricia van Asperen (patriciavanasperen.com) got a jump-start as an artist in grade eight, when she was “kicked” out of instrumental music, and placed in an alternate class – “Art class for the musically inept,” and has been growing ever since! She is intrigued that sculpture poses very different questions than 2-dimensional media, and loves finding new ways of solving the physical puzzles presented. Though the process is what draws her to continue working in sculpture, she is sometimes surprised that in the chaos of creating a refined piece emerges.

Katharine Vingoe-Cram (katharinevingoecram.com) is a visual artist, as well as a burgeoning curator, administrator and educator. She graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2010 and has exhibited her paintings in Nova Scotia and British Columbia. In 2014, she completed a masters degree in art history at Queen’s University, focusing on “Folk” art and the politics of museum representation, topics she expect will inform her work in the future. Her painting practice investigates watercolour media and issues of surreality and perception.

Mat Poirier is a painter, arts administrator and educator.  He uses acrylics to paint his large usually, sports related canvases but ventures out regularly into using unexpected materials such as hockey pucks to add black lines to his hockey pieces.  Mat is involved with arts outreach to the Kingston's North end children and his love of graffiti find outlet as an organizer of "On the Wall' for the Kingston Street Art Festival. 

Natalie Bohnen-Twiddy (nataliebohnen-twiddy.com) is a retired educator who finds time now more fully engage in her creative leanings. Her paintings are colourful, dramatic and often large.  She paints in acrylics and oils and experiments with paints from around the world, just lately importing her paints from France because she is enthusiastic about the way they coat the canvas

Pengyuan Wang Peng, is a professional artist and renowned Calligrapher, who immigrated to Kingston four years ago.  He teaches the art at public schools and Queen's University. Chinese calligraphy is done with ink, paper and a soft brush.  In his classes, people are taught how to use the brush, but also how to find peace with the mind.  Similar to yoga, some people find peace in their writing.  "In China yoga is only for the body, but writing is for the mind".

Ashley Brick