Hi! Thank you for stopping by. My name is Alison Malcolm and I am the creator and Chief Artsplorer of Artsploration
Welcome
I live with my family in the beautiful Hockley Valley in Mono, Ontario. I am passionate about all things arty and believe it’s important to engage children in creative exploration right from infancy. I would like to share that passion with you.
Vision
To spark the desire to create, and nuture the courage of self-expression.
Mission
The mission of Artsploration is to provide an engaging environment, with endless creative possibilities, to foster a lifelong love of creative discovery and out of the box thinking.
My art background
Early in my childhood I discovered a love of all things art, which was encouraged and cultivated by my parents. I took art classes outside of elementary school and focused on art in high school. I then went on to study art history at the University of Toronto and studio art at Sheridan College with designs on being an art educator. While studying I realized I had a passion for graphic design and pursued this as a career, starting by designing logos and packaging for an iconic Canadian clothing brand, became an Art Director and later moved into creating, then managing large scale events.
After my daughter was born, I realized I had strayed away from the hands-on, messy, tactile, freedom of expression, that fundamental art allows, and how much I loved it. My interest in art was revitalized and I knew that I wanted to raise my daughter in an art-rich environment and to encourage her creativity and imagination as much as possible. I read books about kids’ art, including Young at Art by Susan Striker and Kids Play by Michele Cassou.
I started getting together with several other mums and their toddlers, exploring the ideas inspired by the books I had read. We did everything from, mud pie making and smash painting to making our own playdough and edible finger paint. We also focused on child-led, open invitation and exploration of the basics: painting, drawing, sculpting and collage.
Why Artsploration?
I want to share my passion for art, and the pure joy of inspiring children of all ages to experience the freedom of self-motivated exploration, and experimentation with art materials. I encourage participants to make their own discoveries which helps establish an early self-confidence and love of the arts.
How to connect
E-mail me at hello@artsploration.ca, use my contact form, or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I would love to hear from you! You can also subscribe to receive quarterly inspiration via email by subscribing here.