Erin Finlay – Friday Night Guest – November 29, 2024

(Submitted by Taline Kavoukian)

ERIN FINLEY is a Toronto-based artist who has been teaching drawing at OCAD University since 2012. She considers herself a portrait and figure drawing artist with a community-based practice. Her work has been exhibited internationally. In 2012, she collaborated with Canadian artist Heather Saunders to produce Opera Yoko, a drawing-based performance held at Yoko Ono’s alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College in New York. 

Finley has received national, provincial and municipal support, including project grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. During the pandemic, Finley participated in several live virtual drawing events, marking a new phase of her creative practice, where real-time performances and community-building are key. 

Erin shared with us how the art scene is changing and how this affects our studio practice. A big take-away is the importance of community engagement in an event. Erin has been involved in virtual collaborative art events, as well as events where she brings the art to audiences who might not get there otherwise. She created Project Elinor for those in long-term care. Her ambi drawing exercises stimulate neuroplasticity and may offset cognitive decline and dementia. She has even participated in an event called “Union Draws” supported by the City of Toronto, where she engaged walk-by members of the public to join in drawing activities!

Erin offered many other tips for our members related to promoting our work, making our gallery applications stand out, culling our resumes, networking, exhibiting once a year, creating art collectives and participating in artist residencies. She concluded by leading our group in an ambi portrait drawing activity. Finally, she made suggestions for how we might involve the local high school students close to our club to create community engagement.

Thank you, Erin, for a most informative presentation!

For more information about her paintings and workshops, visit Erin’s website at https://erinfinley.com