Hi everyone,

Welcome to the many of you who joined this list after drawing with us at Do West Fest! What a weekend—it was a pleasure devising and drawing silly prompts with hundreds of you each day!

The raffle box said we’d announce one raffle winner. But we have two kids and, well, you can’t let one do something and not the other, right? So we’re pleased to share that Justin S. and Bryanna S. have each won a free class at HP! You should have already received a separate email.

Still figuring out Father’s Day? That morning we’re offering a unique experience: the chance to make an incredible, perfectly detailed cast sculpture of his hand (or yours as a couple, or his and your kid’s). As we discovered when we last ran this session (see here), it’s weirdly moving, wildly satisfying, and honestly kind of magical.

Catching my breath,
Brian

TL;DR (all at College Street)

• Saturday, June 13, 2 p.m.—Mural Magic and Slimes & Potions

• Monday, June 15, 7 p.m.—Book launch for Derek McCormack

• Saturday, June 20, 2 p.m.—Stuffy Creation Station

• Sunday, June 21, 10 a.m.—Hand-casting

• Sunday, June 21, 7 p.m.—Summer Solstice Collage

This Saturday at 2 p.m.: Slimes and mural painting

Not only are we offering slimes and mural painting for kids, but at College Street this Saturday afternoon we’re offering slimes and mural painting at the same time!

Join Samira Abubaker Ali for her always-popular sensory exploration, where kids learn some colour theory while creating their own take-home slime with mix-ins and even scents! Let our never-fail recipe spare you the kitchen cleanup while letting your kids have the sensory celebration they crave! Register for Slimes & Potions →

Or join Josh LeClerc, a.k.a. ToeFish, an artist with murals all across Toronto’s West End, to design and paint a mural on Hot Pizza’s garage. Kids will learn teamwork, composition, scaling a design, and more! The garage faces an active community garden and a Green P lot, and they’ll be able to say “I helped make that!” every time they walk along Dragon Alley Lane. Register for Mural Magic →

Next weekend: Hand-casting, collage, and make-your-own stuffies

Two for grownups and kids together:

• Saturday, 6/20, 2 p.m.: Come make your dream companion at our Stuffy Creation Station on College St. with HP founder Julia Dault. No sewing experience required! We’ll guide you from first sketch to final fluff. Register →

• Sunday, 6/21, 10 a.m.: The aforementioned hand-casting session, on College Street, with longtime HP faculty (and soon-to-be-Berlin-based artist [🥹🤍]) Jes Bonnie. Leave with a unique and special work of art that will also be a family keepsake. Register →

And one just for you:

• Sunday, 6/21, 7 p.m.: Join muralist and multidisciplinary creative Bareket Kezwer for a gentle, joyful Summer Solstice collage session. Celebrate the season’s bright turning point, reflect on what’s growing in your life, and capture on the page what’s most alive for you right now. Register →

Derek McCormack book launch

One benefit of our new College Street space is getting to share it with friends. So please consider joining us next Monday, June 15 at 7 p.m. for the Toronto launch of local literary legend (and friend of HP!) Derek McCormack’s new book! Free! Everyone welcome.

He’ll be in conversation with artist (and also friend of HP!) Kara Hamilton, whose latest work has just been unveiled at the Lassonde Art Trail. And we’ll screen a short excerpt of an in-progress documentary about Derek made by writers and filmmakers (and also friends of HP!) Chris Frey and Patrick Pittman. Plus everybody’s favorite indie bookseller (and also also friends of HP!) Type Books will be on hand.

We’re so delighted to begin playing host to the creative communities we admire. Expect more such events soon!

More details in this Type Books Instagram post.