The Museum’s Art Hive: Six Years of Creativity, Wellness and Community Engagement

Take a right or wrong turn on Level S1 of the Museum’s Jean-Noël Demarais Pavilion, and you might be rewarded with a unique experience! Just a few steps past the elevators and the mosaic of stuffed toys created by artist Claude Cormier, stands a doorway adorned with a yellow bee comb structure that beckons you to approach. Inside, the hum of conversation, laughter, and music tell you this is a space made for creativity and social connection. Upon further inspection, you notice large tables laden with every kind of artist’s material and a community of art makers abuzz with activity. But this is no ordinary art studio, and this is no art class. This is the Art Hive.

Invested with more than twenty dedicated years of research by Art Hive founder Dr. Janis Timm-Bottos, the opening of this community art studio was a first not only for the MMFA but for a museum worldwide. Since then, other museums have followed suit and established their own Art Hives, inspired by the MMFA’s model. So, what exactly is an Art Hive?

What is an Art Hive?

The Art Hive is a community art studio open to all. Everyone is welcomed as an artist regardless of their experience, and participants are encouraged to make their own choices about materials and how they want to engage with other participants . All manner of art supplies are put at their disposal, from paint to drawing materials to clay – it bears mentioning, though, that the Art Hive tries to recycle and reuse wherever possible. This bounty stimulates creative energy and exchange and gives rise to some amazingly original art in all its forms, week after week.

On any given day, you can expect to find a table full of friends exploring clay, while, at another table, a family with young children is absorbed in painting and, off in a corner, someone with headphones is working diligently on their embroidery. Every surface is alive with creative activity, while the art therapy and mediation team works to ensure everything runs smoothly. The expertise and spirit of supportive collaboration these professionals bring to the task gives participants the sense of safety and reassurance they need to explore their creativity and nurture their well-being. But the facilitators also benefit from working at the Art Hive:

Arts-based social inclusion is a core value of the MMFA. This becomes clear when you see the many Members, visitors and groups sharing its galleries and spaces on a daily basis. The Art Hive is able to benefit from the Museum’s draw and open its doors to those who wish to make the Hive a weekly destination or who are simply curious to try it out during a short stay in Montreal. There is a sense of community that reigns, whether the participants are transient or faithful attendees.

Adapting to new conditions

During the pandemic, the Art Hive was forced to temporarily shut down due to gathering restrictions. This came as a blow to our regulars, who had come to count on the weekly activities as a source of inspiration, motivation and social connection. However, this obstacle provided an opportunity to innovate and, thus, the Virtual Art Hive came to be. Going online meant having access to the thousands of digital reproductions of the works in the MMFA’s collection. The virtual version of the Hive – which continues to be held on Monday afternoons – invites participants near and far to connect to each other through the Museum’s works and home-based art-making.

The Golden Hive

The Golden Hive was born out of a long-standing and very popular program for older adults at the MMFA, called Thursdays at the Museum. In this new version, participants are shown a selection of works from the Museum’s collection to inspire their creativity. They are then gently guided through a creative activity by a Museum mediator in what is sometimes called a skill-share. Participants are free to explore whatever they want and interpret the creative invitation in whatever manner they choose. As with the virtual and in-person Art Hive, the Golden Hive benefits from a collaboration between a Museum mediator and an art therapist to support, encourage and celebrate the community of art-making participants.

It’s clear from the testimonials of participants that community is integral to the Art Hive. As they are supported in their creative exploration, they tend to form new connections across the room and across generations. It is believed that art is a connective force in these encounters as it invites curiosity and skill-sharing. And, while long-time Art Hive participants play an important role in the sense of continuity, newcomers are always welcomed with open arms and feature regularly. In fact, we are often joined by new MMFA Members, who are offered an introduction to the Art Hive experience as part of the Discovery Days program, where they learn about the various perks of Museum membership.