Hi everyone,

I hope you had the chance to relax and spend quality time with loved ones this weekend. In our house, with kids ages ten and seven, it can be difficult to have a sustained conversation about what we’re grateful for. (At least they both said “family”!)

Julia and I are definitely grateful for the opportunity to share our love of art and art-making with all of you. Art has made our lives bigger and more vibrant; in a real sense, it even brought us together. We hope we’re able, with this little family enterprise and our crackerjack team of fellow artists, to offer you some of the joy, nourishment, and wonder we’ve been so lucky to experience.

Too sincere for email,
Brian

P.S. Registration for November–December courses for kids opens this Friday at 8 a.m.! You can preview the courses at 134 Osler St. and at 1152 College St. Adult courses are already open for registration!

Build the instrument. Join the band.

A guitar made from cardboard? A shaker made from something pulled from the recycling bin? An instrument nobody’s invented yet?

At School of Rock, kids will turn upcycled materials and art supplies into instruments, experiment with sound and rhythm, then come together as a band to play their own original music. Musician Allison Leyton-Brown and Julia, Hot Pizza’s founder, lead the session. No musical experience needed. A willingness to make joyful noise will do nicely.

Grades SK–3
Sunday, October 17, 9:30

Your favourite recipe deserves better than a screenshot

The cake everyone asks you to bring, your dad’s soup, or the pasta you make when you can’t think what to cook: At Illustrated Recipes, artist Sarah Aranha will help you turn a favourite recipe into an artwork using watercolour, coloured pencils, and collage. You’ll leave with something to cook from, keep, or give to someone who loves that dish as much as you do.

Our June session sold out, and I was there to assist. The great vibes were real. Sarah has a wonderful way of making watercolour feel approachable—and then showing you just how beautiful it can be.

Adults
Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m.

A scavenger hunt with a twist: your kid makes it

If your kid loves word games, making things, or dreaming up elaborate plans for everyone else, put Secret Surprise Scavenger Hunt on your calendar. Rather than following someone else’s hunt, kids will work alongside celebrated artist Micah Lexier to build their own: a kit of handmade surprises, scorecards, and prizes to take home and share with family and friends. Wire, felt, wood, paper, paint … lots of ways to turn a good idea into something another person can discover.⁠

Micah’s work is in the National Gallery and the AGO, but he’s a great fit for Hot Pizza because he believes art belongs in everyone’s life. Here, kids get to work with him on something that belongs entirely to them. And there’s a surprise to take home, too: each student receives an original coin from his Scavenger Hunt exhibition at The Power Plant.

Grades 3–7
Sunday, October 25, 3:30 p.m.