Oxygen Art Centre launches the first phase of an online youth arts education program entitled freezer cheese. It offers a series of six free art demonstration videos for youth (ages 15 to 30) and gift cards to purchase art supplies to follow along.

Art demonstration videos are led by Oxygen’s artist instructors featuring mediums such as concrete poetry, stop-motion animation, colour theory, painting portraiture, and everything in between! All videos are available on Oxygen’s YouTube channel and website beginning today.

Instructors include regional artists Kristy Gordon, Jaymie Johnson, Rayya Liebich, Brian Lye, Deborah Thompson, and prOphecy sun, and features a digital animation by Jonathan Ramos and an original soundtrack by Ok Vancouver Ok. All six of the videos are edited by emerging videographer Grady Robertson.

Free art supply gift cards have been donated by Cowan’s Office Supplies and are available to youth in the West Kootenay on a first come first serve basis. Sign-up to receive your gift card by clicking here or visiting Oxygen’s website. Gift cards will be mailed to participants with a material list and freezer cheese sticker. Each video is accompanied by a material list for folks to access the same or similar supplies.

The overarching project takes place until April 2022 under the title, freezer cheese, derived from the fated piece of cheese— dairy or otherwise — that sits safely in the freezer awaiting the moment it is needed for nutrition, for comfort, for enjoyment. It is a reminder of the ongoing pandemic, but also evokes a sense of play and curiosity.