TATI x OATA Art Hive #4. 2026. Seeds & Sprouts.
Art Therapists Connecting and Creating in Community.
Sowing and Sewing Seeds of Change ~ Spring Accompaniment.
On March 30th there were generosities and inspirational offerings, enthusiastically shared during the TATI x OATA Spring Art Hive. Our TATI and OATA community members gathered together for the fourth art hive at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. With our first art hive of 2026 we revisited the welcoming ‘pop-up’ art hive space that was created through the previous 2025 hives.
Seeds and Sprouts…
Some weeks prior to the event, the team of co-facilitators started to generate ideas for this hive, using the theme of “seeds and sprouts” both literally and metaphorically. The photo collages below capture glimpses into the varied mixed media explorations of the theme.
Advance preparations were key in the choices of materials, concepts and options on offer. Pre-cut words from magazines were scattered randomly on the studio’s tabletops and pARTicipants were invited to consider the plethora of words as seeds for their imagination. They were encouraged to pick out words that called to them, and also to consider what might sprout from the words that they were choosing.
Picking out a handful of words, to reflect on, as an impetus to start an artwork, a poem, a list or maybe a mix of media and words together? Ample wordplay ensued with seeds as thoughts, planting seeds of change and even discovering some real seeds that were on offer to trade, exchange and plant.
Playing also with the idea of sowing and sewing, quilting squares were precut to size, to encourage a gentle collaboration where each square contributed to an overall quilt form. In each square hand sewn symbols or words emerged through individal’s embroidery or applied embellishments.
It was a gentle and comforting experience to engage in, and be part of creating a communal gathering! Reminiscent of the ways people gathered together historically, for quilting bees and companionship.
Radical hospitality is a crucial component in art hives and was evident throughout TATI’s x OATA’s co-hosting. Both the facilitation team and pARTicipants generated much warmth, responding to the spring temperatures that day, and the seeds and sprouts theme.
These energies seemed to nurture the figure/ground relationships within the studio and it became a convivial and fertile holding environment for collective creative growth.
This inspirational atmosphere was co-set by hivers, sharing their curiosity in materials, through rich learning, sensory comforts and gracious congeniality in abundance!
Gratitude…
♡ Thanks to Patricia and Kristina for hosting the art hive in the beautiful TATI location, the support from OATA, and the TATI student facilitators Bailey, Fern, Leigh, Natalie and Isabelle who provided the introduction, creative inspiration and prompts.
♡ An additional thanks to Bailey for creating the Seeds and Sprouts Poster and providing meaningful Tarot Card readings throughout the hive experience.
♡ Thanks to Jenna (OATA communications) and Kristina & Patricia (TATI) for promoting through the community IG posts
♡ A few raffle prizes from Decorate and Donate to finish off the evening. Thanks to Michelle, a S.A.C.K volunteer for providing 2 beautiful crocheted soap sack gifts. FB page where she shares her creations + crochet tips etc. 〰 link here.
♡ And, of course gratitude for ALL who attended!
We are already excited for the next TATI x OATA Art Hive in July!
Susan and April
✿ ART HIVES. TATI x OATA 2025
Hybrid Art Hive at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute • 124 Merton Street, Unit 407, Toronto, ON., M4S 2Z2
1. Mending, Weaving, Repair • Friday March 7, 2025 • 3-6pm 〰 @taticommunity IG art hive post
2. Collective Care in the Sign of Cancer • Monday July 14, 2025 • 5-8pm 〰 @taticommunity IG art hive post
3. Transformation • Thursday Oct 17 2025 • 6-8pm 〰 @taticommmunity IG art hive post
✿ ART HIVES.
Website: www.arthives.org Downloadable Guide:art hives how-to guide 1
Follow on Facebook: Art Hives / Les Ruches d’Art
Monthly Art Hive Community of Practice • online the last Thursday of Every Month - Next Gathering March 27th at 3pm.
✿ OATA.
Website: www.oata.ca
Follow on Instagram: @ontarioarttherapyassociation
OATA Moments. Art Hive. 2023 〰 Revisiting an Evening of Making and Mingling and some OATA-TATI Moments
OATA Virtual Art Hive 2022. 〰 Art Therapists Connecting & Creating in Community
✿ TATI.
Website: www.tati.on.ca
Follow on Instagram: @tati.community 〰 Community of students, grads & friends, sharing info, news & love for art therapy & healing arts.
TATI Community IG Art Hive Post Here
✿ ART HIVE POP UP. Cynthia.
Follow on Instagram: @ArtHivePopUp
My Journey to Art Hives.Cynthia. Cynthia’s inspiring journey from student through trainings in the Art Hive model and the Open Studio process, to facilitating regular and welcoming Art Hive offerings in Ontario.
2025 • Evergreen Brickworks and Art Hive Popup is running every Sunday in April 10am-3pm 〰 IG Reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIPX6veyOkb/
✿ SHERIDAN ART HIVE.
Follow on Instagram: @sheridanarthive
2026 • The Sheridan Art Hive is running weekly at the Sheridan Trafalgar Campus! Current Art Hive facilitator: Kirsten Abrahamson
Founded by Susan Beniston 〰 Sheridan College Art Hive Initiative + CollectiveEYEdentity: Connecting Community Curation
art hive stories on the connections blog
✿ Creative Science Shop. The Art Hive. 〰 art hive overview and news
✿ engAGE Living Lab Créatif. The Story.〰 ENGAGE LIVING LAB 〰 sharing the evolution of this Concordia University project & art hives
✿ Inspiration|Exhalation: Breath-Taking-Time and The Space Within Us〰 SUSAN BENISTON 〰 sharing community project and art hive roots
✿ My Journey to Art Hives.〰 CYNTHIA MORIN 〰 art hive journey
✿ OATA Moments. Art Hive. 2023 〰 OATA 〰 Revisiting an Evening of Making and Mingling and some OATA-TATI Moments at the 2023 conference kickoff art hive
✿ OATA Virtual Art Hive 2022. 〰 OATA NEWS: Art Hive Introduction and Art 2022
TATI x OATA HIVES
✿ TATI x OATA Art Hive. 2025 Mending, Weaving and Repair ✿tati-oata Collaborative ART HIVE
✿ TATI x OATA Art Hive #2. 2025. Collective Care ✿tati-oata Collaborative ART HIVE
Note: Art and Hand-Creating Photos shared with consent by the the TATI-OATA art hive participants.
