About DVSA

Your Community Art School for Everyone

The Dundas Valley School of Art (DVSA) is an independent, not-for-profit art school serving the Hamilton area continuously since 1964. We are leaders in the cultural development of the region and, with an annual enrollment of over 4,200 students aged two to 102, we play a vital role in the art education of the community. At DVSA, you can take a course in art history, ceramics, drawing, jewellery-making, painting, printmaking, design, photography and sculpture, taught by more than 50 highly-regarded faculty members.

History

The Dundas Valley School of Art was founded in 1964 by two visionary women, Marion Farnan and Emily Dutton, who recognized the need for professional-level art instruction in the region. The school grew rapidly and, in 1967, DVSA was incorporated as a non-profit organization.

By 1970, the school had outgrown its small, rented premises on Melville St. and the board purchased the present building on Ogilvie St. Built in 1836, it was the former the home of a Wesleyan Ladies’ College, Canada Screw Works (later Stelco), an aircraft engine plant, and a WWII munitions factory.

Today it’s a designated heritage building and has been renovated to offer approximately 27,000 square feet of studio space, an extensive library, a community art gallery and a large loft space with beamed ceiling suitable for large events and performances.

Over the decades, the DVSA has never wavered from its mission to provide high quality, accessible and affordable visual arts education that encourages excellence and personal fulfillment for children, adults and those pursuing a career in the visual arts.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2011-2012

CHAIR
John Farnan

VICE CHAIR
Gise Trauttmansdorff

TREASURER
Paul Ferguson

SECRETARY
Sheila Cumming

PAST CHAIR
Tom Bontje

Marion Farnan
Gaston Germain
Robert C. Glass
Rudy Heinzl
Susan Masterman
Frances Neufeld
Marla Panko
Marcela Prikryl
E. Robert Ross
Cheryl Stepan
Jeffrey Teal

HONOURARY MEMBERS
Dr. J. Bienenstock
Alex Colville
Toller Cranston
John Evans
Ron Moore
Harley Murphy
Christopher & Mary Pratt

HONOURARY PATRON
Honourable Lincoln Alexander