Opening Saturday: Cats of Ballard 2026! 😽😺

THIS SATURDAY! Our Cats of Ballard group show is finally here! Over 20 artists will be participating in this year's show, including many who are showing their work for the first time!

And beyond the outdoor cats and window cats you might glimpse around the neighbourhood, this year we're also celebrating some of our indoor cat neighbours, too! So join us Saturday, June 13, from 6-9 pm for the opening reception! Meet participating artists, other cat people from around Ballard, and maybe even find art of your favourite Ballard cat on the walls?

Intentionalist x BECU Equity in Action

As part of Pride month, we're participating in an Intentionalist program that lets you get FREE STUFF from us and other cool queer-owned businesses!

Learn more about it here! 🏳️‍🌈 Don't wait until the tabs run out!

Mystery Box time again!

Didn't the month just change over into June? Is it that time already? Sign up by the 15th (that's Monday!) to get a mystery box for this month! Choose between our store-made paints and inks, or... don't choose at all and get everything! 😉

Teen Summer Camps!

July creeps closer and closer! We have SIX different multi-day crash courses geared towards teens this year and ONE that's all-ages! From printmaking to fiber arts to zine-making and comics-making, there's something new for every creative kid to explore!

Browse the class details and make some plans!

It seems so simple, but there are so many ways to approach Botanical Printing and so many applications for it too! 🌿

Wednesday, June 10, 6:00 PM: This month's Watercolor for Everyone is SOLD OUT! Join the waitlist or sign up for next month! 🌊

Thursday, June 11, 5:00 PM: Do you love seeing photos of other people's cats? Sharing photos of your own cats or cats in your life? Want to try your hand at painting a cat too? Acrylic Painting Cats is for you!! Beginner friendly and full of crazy cat people!! 😽

Friday, June 12, 5:30 PM: It's back! Fantasy Map Making's been bouncing around without a regular schedule, so don't miss it when it's here! We don't know when the next one will be! 🗺️ TWO SPOTS LEFT!

Saturday, June 13, 10:00 AM: Learn how to separate layers and colors for Risograph printing at Procreate at Designing for Risograph in Procreate! Yes, it's what it says on the tin. :D 🖨️

Saturday, June 13, 1:00 PM: Don't wait on it! Make Your Own Watercolor Paints only recurs quarterly, so don't miss your chance this month to learn how to make your own paints from professional pigments and natural materials! What colors will you concoct? What will you paint with your paints?? 🎨

Saturday, June 13, 6:00 PM: It's the opening reception of our Cats of Ballard group show! Two dozen artists have contributed their depictions of local neighbourhood felines -- maybe you'll recognise some of them? Seen them outside or in windows? Maybe one of them is your cat??? Come see! 🐈 FREE EVENT.

Sunday, June 14, 11:00 PM: Botanical Printing Sampler is back! Explore and experiment with a variety of printing techniques -- including monotype gel plate printing, hammered printing, rubbings and more -- using gifts from nature! It's a great way to explore new ways to make art! 🌿

Sunday, June 14, 7:15 PM: Stuff keeps happening and Riff Raff League does too... Find and create community, camaraderie, and hope, and figure out what actions we can take together to fight back and move forward. ✊ FREE MEETUP.

Aces & Aros Vol. 1 is a 100-page anthology that collects twenty-one (21) brand new short stories about Asexual- and Aromantic-spectrum experiences!

Kat Calamia & Phil Falco (Lifeline Comics) are joined on the Editorial Team by prolific demisexual creator, Jeremy Whitley, who will tell you below why this anthology and Aspec Representation is so important:

"As I discussed in my story in this anthology, a few years ago I had the amazing experience of making a comic about being Ace with a full team of Aspec creators. I can't express how fulfilling that experience was. It was like I'd had the same song in my head for years and I'd been trying to hum it to people, but nobody had ever heard it.

"Then suddenly I was in a room where four other people not only knew it, but knew parts of it that I couldn't remember. They remembered it. Maybe they even knew the song's name. It was incredible and I wanted more Ace people to have that feeling. When Kat and Phil gave me the opportunity to work on this, I thought how incredible it would be to have a team full of people who knew different parts of this song. If there were enough of it, maybe we could actually get other people to understand it. We could actually help the people out there who had a few notes stuck in their head recognize the song.

"Now it's your turn. You get to help us sing this song and share it with more people. I can't wait for you to hear it. It might be more familiar than you realize."

Monday, June 15, 11:00 AM: It's looking like a warm one! Join us out in the sun with your sketchbooks for Botanical Sketching at the Locks! Bask in the beautiful summer weather while learning about some of the lovely plants and flowers in the garden! 🌼

Monday, June 15, 6:00 PM: Meet and hang out with fellow poets as you all put some time in on your poetry! Start new poems, refine old ones, get feedback from others (if you want it!), and maybe glimpse at others' works in progress (if they want to share!) while you're at Part-Time Poets' Club! 🪶FREE MEETUP.

Tuesday, June 16, 6:00 PM: Is it the third Tuesday already? Ballard Sketch Team meets twice monthly (1st and 3rd Tuesdays) at Hattie's Hat! Come grab a table in the back room and spread out with your sketchbooks or whatever you're working on! 🍔FREE MEETUP.

Wednesday, June 17, 6:00 PM: This month's Drawing Techniques is SOLD OUT! Plan ahead of July -- we'll be learning to draw from imagination! 🐲

Thursday, June 18, 5:00 PM: Why ink with a dip pen when normal pens are right there? Explore different nibs, the strengths of each, and how nibs might benefit your drawing preferences at Inking with Dip Pens! ✒️

Friday, June 19, 5:30 PM: Make an Embroidery Book is one part fiber arts inspiration and "sketching" and one part secret book binding class! Make yourself a "sketchbook" to fill with stitch experimentation, thread and color tests, embroidery doodles and more! 🧵

Friday, June 19, 8:00 PM: It's time again for our monthly Live Figure Drawing class! Bring your favourite drawing tools and settle in for poses long and short! The human body is a marvel; you can never know enough about how it moves or even how it holds still. 🕺

Saturday, June 20, 2:00 PM: Learn All About Gouache with Maxx, frequent gouache painter and resident gouache-maker! How does it compare to watercolor? What's different and what's similar? What's the best way to use it? How is it pronounced? All your burning questions, answered! 🌲

Shh, it's a secret bookbinding class! Make Your Own Embroidery Book and give yourself a place to do little stitch tests and little embroidery "doodles"! 🧵