Maia Stark is an artist of settler ancestry based out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Treaty 6. She holds an MFA from the University of Saskatchewan. Stark primarily works in figurative painting in oil, acrylic, and gouache. Since 2017, Stark has also worked in decorative and functional ceramics after completing the CARFAC Mentorship program with ceramic artist Paula Cooley. Maia Stark is represented by the Darrell Bell Gallery in Saskatoon, SK, and Slate Gallery in Regina, SK.
Maia on teaching: A studio art class is very different from other courses: the learning is largely hands-on, and most progress can be seen and developed in class (as opposed to classes where knowledge is applied after the teacher’s lecture). For this reason I find that participation and communication are the most important experiences for an art student. Not only students’ participation and communication among the group, but also mine as the instructor. Since students in an introductory painting course come in with a variety of experience (from having done some painting to never having handled a brush before) I aim to provide a high standard of knowledge while also providing individual feedback and guidance during class time. My approach to teaching, while informed by an art-historical structure, is fluid and responsive to the needs and interests of my students. I aim to provide students with a “tool-kit” of artistic principles and techniques within a supportive atmosphere of discussion in order to fuel their creative expression.
You can find Maia on Instagram and her website.
Photo credit: Maki Fotos