Sheridan's Art Hive creates belonging, community and connection

There’s a friendly buzz of activity and conversation in the Learning Commons at Sheridan’s Trafalgar Road Campus on a Wednesday afternoon, and it’s coming from a group of students huddled around tables covered with colourful arts and craft supplies. 

The students are hard at work, but the projects they’re working on here don’t have a rubric or a deadline, and they won’t be graded. 

This is Art Hive: a safe, creative gathering space that welcomes everyone as an artist, regardless of their ability. Every Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Sheridan community is invited to explore and create using arts and crafts materials, provided at no cost.  

The initiative is rooted in art therapy, which recognizes that creative activity can be healing and can reduce stress, fear and anxiety. An Art Hive’s purpose is to promote wellness, equity, diversity, inclusion and sustainability through creativity. Alongside supporting student wellness, Art Hive works primarily with donated, recycled, upcycled and repurposed materials, aligning with Sheridan’s environmental sustainability work through Mission Zero to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Kirsten Abrahamson, an Art Fundamentals professor in the Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design became the Art Hive Coordinator in 2021. While the program was conceived in 2018, it briefly shut down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Abrahamson took on the role in 2021, she voluntarily ran the program virtually, going on to revive it in-person in 2022 as a weekly event at the Trafalgar Road Campus, where it continues to grow in popularity.

“Participants have noticed that their stress and anxiety are lessened, and their sense of belonging and community are heightened.”

– Art Hive Coordinator Kirsten Abrahamson

“The impact of Art Hive on participants is profound,” said Abrahamson. “Participants have noticed that their stress and anxiety are lessened, and their sense of belonging and community are heightened when they spend time working creatively with their hands. We’re proud to be the only Ontario college to offer an Art Hive as a means to support well-being in our community.” 

Past participants have expressed the Hive’s importance in helping them make friends and feel part of a community. Plans are underway to offer an Art Hive at Davis Campus in Brampton. 

Students, faculty, staff and even family members, are welcomed at Art Hive, and encouraged to participate in activities such as beading, felting and other art projects.  

Art Hive is also a place to learn and grow, as Sheridan community members share ideas and techniques. Ideas are exchanged freely as students learn from each other and teach each other – known as the “each-one-teach-one" philosophy. This semester, Sheridan peer mentors are supporting the program and developing skills in leadership, instructing, teamwork, organization, planning and technical skills. 

“Art Hive is a welcoming space where individuals from diverse backgrounds come together, fostering a sense of unity and community,” said Amninder Kaur, a second-year international student in the Computer Systems Technology – Software Development and Network Engineering program and a peer mentor who supports Art Hive. “It provides me with a creative outlet where I can relieve stress from my studies, express myself and leave with a renewed sense of joy and connection."

Creativity is the only expectation at Art Hive – students can take a break from academics and productivity in the creative pursuit of art for the sake of art. They return to their studies with a renewed sense of calm and inspiration. 

“It is magical to watch how folks look through the assorted variety of materials we put out each week and come up with the most amazing ideas for creating things with it,” Abrahamson said. “This free exchange of ideas is beautiful and really broadens our ways of thinking.” 

If you have craft materials to donate, please email kirsten.abrahamson@sheridancollege.ca. Accepted items include beads, glue, fabric, ribbons, yarn, buttons, felt, drawing paper and more. 

If you are a faculty or staff member who is interested in volunteering at the Art Hive, contact kirsten.abrahamson@sheridancollege.ca. 

Learn more about the history of Sheridan’s Art Hive.