The NOW caught up with Caroline Ballhorn, who runs the Tin Can Studio with Jenny Lee Craig. The two will have their mobile arts space stationed at Burnaby's Deer Lake this summer, hosting a series of free art workshops.
Can you tell me a bit about you and your partner?
I'm an artist and creative facilitator with a background in printmaking, illustration and design. I love working with textiles, paper, thread and ink. I'm interested in collaboration and creativity and its relationship to community building. Jenny has a diverse interdisciplinary background that draws from craft, performance and community engagement. ...We met on a road trip to Portland in 2010, and I had just launched Tin Can Studio with my collaborator Brodie Kitchen. Jenny and I hit it off, and when Brodie decided to step away from the project, she came on to replace him.
How does the Tin Can Studio work?
Tin Can Studio is a multi-purpose mobile project space housed in a converted vintage 18-foot Streamline trailer. Because it's mobile, we can set-up and run creative interventions and happenings almost anywhere, which is a big part of our project.
Where did you get the idea?
I was thinking a lot about the shrinking space for creative production in Vancouver. When I met my original collaborator, artist/designer Brodie Kitchen, the idea took shape and we began to work towards creating a project that would be able to exist in the in-between, a flexible space that we could transport as needed.
What kinds of workshops do you run out of the studio?
First, as artists, we use the space as a mobile studio and hub for participatory projects. It's been a bit of an incubator/pop-up space for us and other artists that we've worked with in the sense that we've been able to try out and test some our ideas and see how the public responds. ...
Second, as creative facilitators we're really interested in skill sharing and situations that connect people. We offer a wide range of art and craft based workshops, from printmaking, weaving, drawing, bookbinding, embroidery, terrarium building, and more.
Finally, we can be hired for special events to host any one of these workshops for a specific group, or create custom activities and installations. We've done some fun projects for a wide range of clients from hosting guests for a sit down meal, to providing a creative activity station. We've even transformed the space into a mobile tiki bar with a Tom Selleck shrine!
Where did you find the vintage trailer?
We actually found the trailer on Craigslist! In 2009 when Brodie (my previous collaborator) and I were searching for the right vessel for our idea, we came across the posting and knew right away it was the right one. A few emails later we found ourselves driving up to Whistler to pick it up.
What was the most memorable experience you've had working with the studio?
To be honest my favorite project was one of the simplest - a neighbourhood open art studio on my street. It was amazing to actually meet and become friends with the people that live right around me, and somehow having this neutral space between our homes was what we needed to make that connection. We ended up creating a show together of drawings inspired by bicycles and monsters, which was pretty amazing.
What do you love most about running this studio?
I love watching people get excited about what they're making. I also enjoy seeing people meet each other for the first time, usually through the shared experience of learning something new.
