A fun night of painting and socializing has come to town thanks to The Cochrane Art Social.
Louisa Neufeld and Melissa Josue crafted the program two years ago to bring a more diverse artistic flair to Cochrane.
The idea landed its first brush stroke when Josue posted on the Cochrane Moms Facebook page looking for a local paint night. She received a response from Neufeld, a Cochrane mom and owner of Mountain’s Reach Educators, an organization that provides tutoring, educational after-school clubs, support for the local home-school community, and seminars.
“I was looking for a paint night to attend … and no one had seen one before,” Josue said. “Then Neufeld commented saying she would help start one.”
From there, The Cochrane Art Social was born – it originally began as an evening just for adults but has since expanded to offer various paint nights for families and children as well.
“The first one I did was May of last year … with my mom, sister-in-law and a friend – a girls’ night at the Texas Gate Restaurant and we painted an owl on a branch,” said April Baird who attended a previous paint night. “We loved the night and the instruction – we just had a great time.”
An Art Social instructor who has taught at past paint nights and will continue to teach at future evenings, says she is excited about the event’s potential.
“I think it’s something that could be really cool for Cochrane,” said Christy (who would not give her last name), an instructor from Calgary who is passionate about sharing her love for art.
Neufeld wanted something for Cochranites to do that wasn’t sports or competitive – but an event to “just enjoy and create memories.”
