Bringing the Studio Home: returning to Chatham Street!

In 2009, Phoenix Art Workshop opened our annex studio with a simple dream: to create a dedicated haven that would better serve our incredible creative community. Over the last 18 years in this space, we have had the absolute joy of hosting countless classes and workshops, always driven by a shared passion for supporting visual creativity. Together, we have celebrated so many unforgettable milestones. The studio served as our war room for planning 16 Grand Prix of Art events in both Ladner and Steveston. From vibrant Life Drawing Marathons and inspiring Student-Teacher Exhibitions to launching our Travelling Brush tours, hosting private classes, and throwing a few truly epic parties, every memory has been a testament to the magic of making art together.

We will always treasure our time in the third-floor studio on First Avenue. It was a space where we expanded our class offerings, welcomed brilliant new instructors, and hosted deeply inspiring guest workshops, including our particularly memorable sessions with Joseph Zbukvic. To celebrate everything this location has given us, we invite you to join us for our very last event on the third floor on August 21st: We are thrilled to host a portrait demonstration with the incomparable Eudes Correia for $35 a ticket (with a few spots still available!), followed by a two-day watercolour portrait and figure workshop, as well as a two-day plein air workshop in and around Steveston. You can reserve your spot today here.

Looking back, our third-floor studio certainly had its unique character and quirks. We are deeply grateful to every single artist who courageously lugged heavy equipment and canvases up those three long flights of stairs, braved the breezy winter chill and summer heat, and hunted down elusive parking spots over the last two decades. Your enthusiasm, dedication, and loyalty have been the true heartbeat of that space, and we cannot thank you enough for walking—and climbing—this path with us.

Now, as times change, it is time for a fresh new chapter. For all these reasons, and so many bright, positive ones ahead, we have made the decision to bring everything back under one roof. While stepping away from First Avenue brings a touch of nostalgia, this major transition fills us with overwhelming excitement. Clearing out the annex and renovating our retail space has given us a wonderful opportunity to pause and reflect on our 30 years of serving Richmond and the greater Vancouver art community. Sorting through three decades of memorabilia—from original paintings, sculptures, and classic newspaper clippings to travel mementos, forgotten art projects, and deeply moving thank-you notes—has reminded us just how special this journey has been.

This November marks a incredible milestone: 30 years in business! Stay tuned for upcoming announcements regarding our grand 30th Anniversary celebration and an official Open House to unveil our newly redesigned studio space. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also celebrate three decades of Phoenix Art Workshop with us on the road—we have just 2 spots left for our unforgettable two-week drawing and sketching tour to Kerala, India this November! Time is running out to register, so reach out soon if you would like to join us on this incredible journey.

As we bring the studio home to our Chatham Street location, we want to thank you for your patience during this transition. We are so excited to welcome you back to a space where we have much better control over lighting and room temperatures, easier parking, and—best of all—no stairs to navigate! We are eagerly looking forward to unveiling our newly refreshed studio starting with our September classes. As we work hard to get everything reorganized, we hope you will forgive a little temporary chaos around the shop. To help make room for this exciting new setup, we are hosting massive clearance sales all summer long, so be sure to stop by, say hello, and pick up some fantastic art supplies at amazing discounts. Thank you for being such an extraordinary part of our story—we cannot wait to start this next chapter together under one roof!