Photo Essay: Open Studio fosters creative environment in Fredericton

Every week, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery opens its doors not just to showcase art, but to create it. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

Inside, the Open Studio transforms the Education Centre into a space where students, newcomers and longtime residents can step in and let creativity guide them. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

“The credit for Open Studio really goes to Emily Grace Lavoie. She’d seen the concept at other galleries and wanted to make it our own and we had the perfect space for it here.” said  Natasha Leblond, programs coordinator of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Leblond has overseen the program for a year and a half, ensuring it stays free and welcoming. 

Supported by grants from the Fredericton Community Foundation, the studio thrives on donations that allow better-quality materials. 

At the Open Studio, the atmosphere is informal and welcoming, where every corner can also become a workspace. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

“It’s awesome to have a space to explore different methods of creativity without having to buy all the supplies yourself. It makes it really accessible … ” said Alicia Lowe, an attendee at the Open Studio.

Around the tables, strangers become collaborators and conversations flow as naturally as brushstrokes. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

“Everyone’s kind of mixing and mingling at the table. It’s an amazing resource, especially to meet people,” said Annabelle Ramsey, another attendee.

Sculptures, prints and unexpected projects fill the room, each sparking curiosity and laughter. (Jennifer Williams/AQ) 

“It’s nice to have a place away from electronics, no phones, no computers. Just a calm space where you can really get into what you’re doing,” said Lowe.

The Open Studio is as much about slowing down as it is about making art. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

For some, it’s less about the product and more about the process—the quiet moment of pencil on paper, brush on canvas, or hands carving a block of ink. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

“You don’t even need to make art if you don’t want to. The environment is so fun and inviting … I just want people to come hang out with us, ” said Leblond.

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery’s Open Studio is a community stitched together by paint, pencil, and conversation. In every smile, every quiet moment of reflection, every shared tool, it reminds us that art is not only something to look at, but something to experience. (Jennifer Williams/AQ)

The Open Studio will run from Sept. 17 to June 6, 2026.