Hi everyone,

Deep breath. How has the transition to fall weather and school and the new art season been? Did your favorite show win an Emmy? Are you ready for the pumpkin-spice onslaught?

Yesterday our September-October courses began. The group chats and DMs are flowing, and at HPHQ we are already seeing evidence of everyone’s creativity and penchant for making new friends. This afternoon I’ll join our dedicated artist teachers in carrying a bright red flag to a local school to gather both Hot Pizza lifers and those new to our programs. This is what all the prep and admin (and emails!) are for.

If a seven-week course is too much just now, but you still want to learn creative skills and see what you’ve got inside you, read on. You’ll find info about upcoming weekend one-off classes, including two we’ve never offered before.

Leaves turn inside you, too,
Brian

Upcoming one-offs

We’ve got a busy slate the next few weeks. For adults, there’s:

• Fall Equinox Collage (Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., 134 Osler). Welcome the new season with intention! In this gathering, we’ll use collage to express our creative intuition, consider what we want to welcome into our lives, and welcome the coziest season. Register →

• Block Printing (Sept. 26 at 7 p.m., 134 Osler). Design your image, carve a block, ink it up, and print till your heart’s content … and you’ve got a piece of clothing, a tote, a tea towel, or other fabric you can enjoy in your daily life. Register →

• Educator Open House (Oct. 24 at 10 a.m., 1152 College). Join us for a free workshop designed for teachers interested in bringing their students to HP. Founder Julia Dault will get you using your hands while introducing what school visits look like at our studio. Register (for free!) →

For kids, there’s:

• Saturday Comics (Sept. 26 at 2 p.m., 1152 College). This is for all the budding character creators and storytellers who love to draw. Can’t join us for seven weeks? Learn how drawings and words come together to make exciting plots, dramatic conflicts and resolutions, enduring friendships, and more come alive on the page. Register →

• Stop-motion Animation with Lego (Oct 4 at 3:30 p.m., 134 Osler). Learn to use handmade backdrops, storytelling tricks, and more Lego than you’ve ever seen to create your very own stop-motion animation video. Register →

• Apparel design (Oct. 3 at 10 a.m., 134 Osler). Sewing, stamping, appliqué, painting, drawing … the sky is the limit in this side-by-side apparel design class, where you and your kid each customize a Hot Pizza–provided t-shirt and make your marks. Register →

New class: School of Rock, Oct. 17

We’ll dream up and build our own musical instruments using cardboard, upcycled materials, and tons of art supplies. We’ll experiment with sound, rhythm, and design as we create shakers, guitars, drums, and other instruments! At the end of class, we’ll come together as a band to play our own original music. No musical experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to make some joyful noise! Co-led by Allison Leyton-Brown, a musician, composer, and the cofounder of West End choir Power Chords, and Hot Pizza founder Julia Dault. Register →

New class: Secret Surprise Scavenger Hunt

In this session, students will work alongside acclaimed Canadian artist Micah Lexier to design and build their very own secret surprise scavenger hunt kits for family and friends. Micah’s art is in the National Gallery, the AGO, and other museums and in public places around the country, like the Bay Adelaide Center downtown. But he deeply values everyone having access to art, and is probably happier to be in the “collections” of thousands of people around the world, who love and live with his editioned artworks. He’s a perfect fit for Hot Pizza.

Inspired by wordplay, kids will experiment with wire, paper, felt, string, wood, fabric, paint, textiles, and more to create imaginative components—complete with handmade scorecards and prizes! Micah’s Scavenger Hunt , exhibited at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, will also be on display at Hot Pizza, and students will be given an original coin from the museum exhibition. Register →