About AIRS
Studio residencies
Studio residencies
Find out more about the AIRS Model and how it works for schools and artists
Studio residencies
Studio residencies
Studio residencies
Take a look at what has been happening in AIRS studio spaces in elementary schools 2022/23
Artists
Studio residencies
Artists
Meet the community of artists whose vision and expertise create transformative artmaking experiences to students.
Applications for AIRS Open April 1st
AIRS is looking for local professional and emerging artists who are interested in bringing their practice into schools in a meaningful way. This residency program supports artists in developing thoughtful, community-driven projects in collaboration with teachers and students.
Opportunities include mentorships, short-term studio residencies, and full-year placements, with chances to work across different media and age groups. Projects are inquiry-based, integrating art-making with curriculum in ways that are relevant to students’ lives. Artists should have experience working with children and be open to building relationships within a school community.
Applications are open. Deadline to apply is April 30th. Click here to access the application.
To help you understand what we're looking for in the application, we've created an Application Guideline and Criteria document. You can download it here.
*The application does not have a save feature, so we recommend copying the questions and answering them in a separate document before submitting.
If you need assistance regarding the application, please contact Yunuen at yunuen@airprogram.org
Read our latest Blog: Artistic Transformations & Portals Into Other Worlds
Yunuen Perez Vertti is a Digital Media Artist and Filmmaker originally from Mexico City, and is a beloved member of AIRS. Working in front of and behind the scenes at AIRS for 7 years as an artist, mentor and community builder, Yunuen’s passion for arts education creates spaces of artistic discovery and transformation for both artists and students.
You are invited to the AIRS Annual Exhibition of Student work at the VSB
You are most warmly invited to join us for the opening of our year-end AIRS Exhibition on Tuesday May 20th in the Student Gallery and Rm. 180 at the VSB Education Centre from 4:30-7pm. Students docents will be present to share about their work and there will be some formal remarks just before 5pm.
This years exhibition, I AM Resilience and Reciprocity, brings together select student works from artist residencies in 18 elementary schools. Themes include resilience, inner strength, courage and emotional awareness and art processes that allow students to attune to their internal voice and authentic self. Adjacent to this are projects that cultivate our reciprocal relationship back out into the world, nurturing connection to the land, waters, ancestors and neighbourhood communities. Rendered in diverse media (drawing, painting, puppetry, poetry, assemblage, light, stickers, printmaking, film, photography and new media), these works speak to the way that art cultivates the capacities for creative joy, integrity, compassion and mutual care that are needed now more than ever for holding true to the vision of a more just and equitable shared word.
We look forward to welcoming you there!
ART WAVES an AIRS quarterly Newsletter volume #2 is out
The second volume of ART WAVES is out. ART WAVES provides updates on what’s happening behind the scenes at AIRS and a glimpse of some of the incredible art projects unfolding in the studios for students with artists.
Help us raise $25,000 to keep AIRS program in schools.
With the 2025/2026 school year on the horizon, we are urgently expanding our funding base. To ensure the sustainability of our program, we've launched a Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign with a goal of $25,000 by December 3rd. These funds are crucial for providing high-quality arts education to underserved elementary public schools in the long run. Please consider a donation to our program. Every contribution makes a difference; all donations above $25 will receive a tax receipt.
Donations to AIRS Program Society can be made directly through link below.
AIRS 2023/24 Annual Report
Every year, AIRS releases an end-of-the-year report based on the review of visual documentation, written reflections, and recollections of participating students, teachers, and artists collected throughout the year. This year was significant for AIRS as a newly formed registered charity. The report reflects on this milestone and the possibilities for new partnerships, growth, and the expansion of the program's long-term impact.