OCAD U Student Gallery x SickKids Hospital (2015–2016)

Between Fall 2015 and Winter 2016, Morgan Mavis and Caroline Mcfarlane initiated and ran a series of three Learning Labs (aka pARTies) through the OCAD U Student Gallery in collaboration with SickKids Hospital. Each Lab centred on an accessible “lite craft” practice, collage, polymer clay sculpture, and pompom making, and took place in Marnie’s Lounge at Sick Kids Hospital.

As Program Coordinator of the OCAD U Student Gallery, I led the development of the project alongside Community Coordinator Caroline Macfarlane. Together, we assembled and mentored a team of OCAD U students, some of whom participated through their “Learning in the Field” placement and received full academic credit. Students were involved in workshop development, art facilitation, community building, documentation, and online engagement.

The Learning Labs created a participatory, community-based experience that moved between gallery and hospital contexts. Students developed and implemented dynamic, inclusive, art-based workshops while exploring how creativity and design can support mental health, emotional wellbeing, and healing processes. The project functioned as a cross-disciplinary educational initiative, connecting art students to the medical sector in a meaningful and embodied way.

For each Lab, we transformed Marnie’s Lounge into a colourful, inviting, exuberant environment. Patients and their family members were invited to drop in, spend time together, make art, and leave with handcrafted objects to personalize their hospital rooms. The intention was to shift the atmosphere—if only temporarily—from clinical and institutional to playful, imaginative, and joy-filled.

To extend the reach of the project, we produced three short instructional videos in collaboration with videographer Nicholas Collette and graphic designer Bonnie Yau. These videos were made available on personal TV screens for patients unable to attend in person. Above Ground Art Supplies generously provided bedside materials in the form of “loot bags,” and we supplied the hospital with detailed materials lists so the workshops could continue independently beyond the live events.

The pARTy TiMe Learning Labs demonstrated how gallery practice can meaningfully intersect with healthcare environments. The project fostered joy, creativity, and connection while opening pathways for future collaborations between OCAD University and Toronto’s medical community.