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Maggiolly Art: Forming new ideas for art classes

January 2, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield 

Maggiolly Art Supplies is a store of fine art supplies at reasonable prices. This is home to many patrons who love the quality and choice, and the same about the many art classes in the store’s classroom at the back of the shop. 

“Stephanie Schirm brought her idea of ‘five women and five paintings,’ working with those paintings to create original ideas. One of the cool new ideas for art classes we have at Maggiolly Art,” said Sara May, daughter of the shop’s owner Emilia Perry.

The Citizen caught up with Sara who is helping run her mother’s shop and assisting with the media end of the business. She told us the art shop opened in 1996. That was a tiny store on Paris Street in Alliston. There are murals on the walls of Paris Street, some of which Emilia did and they are – faintly – still there. She moved the shop to Orangeville in 2003.

Over that time, there has been a steady increase in classes offered to artists and novices wanting to learn about painting and more. The classes are to encourage as many people to make art as possible. It is exciting to see anyone who is interested come and finally say,”I’m going to try it,” amongst older people too. 

Sara told us, “My mom is so passionate about art and talking about it that anyone coming into the store just knows it.”

The Reid T. Cooper Bursary allowed Emilia and her daughter to travel to Norman Wells with Canoe North Adventures, for a canoe adventure Emilia could never have imagined. The fabulous journey was a deeply emotional one for her. When she returned to Orangeville, she just wanted to paint what being in the North had taught her. 

Sara is a musician, playing guitar with her band, Falcon Jane. They play gigs in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern and other venues in nearby cities. She is also a photographer and videographer.

She told us about a past watercolour class, but with stamps by Martha Bull. Having painted with the watercolours, the students pressed leaves and branches and stamped marks into the paint. All this on a giant piece of art, with all the different textures. They cut it up and made greeting cards.

John David Anderson, who teaches all over Ontario, comes to Maggiolly’s store. 

“Every season he does different classes,” Sara explained, “six different courses over six weeks. People spend all day doing art.”

For some classes, he did a “bring your own picture” and helped the students paint that picture. Sara brought a photo she had taken of two black cows in California. In her picture, everything was very pink from the setting sun but Anderson said no, it’s purple. Wash the page with purple first and build up from there. 

“He makes any image an interesting and exciting painting,” she reported.

Classes cater to all ages, with kids on the weekend and, brand new, on Sundays. 

Sara’s sister, Olive has been an animator for several years. She does all kinds of kids’ shows, with “amazing” characters. Olive helps kids at Maggiolly’s classes to design their own characters and put them onto a screen, with the idea of forming a story. A character in action, in a scene that’s a goal dynamic. There are more Sunday classes to come.

A huge part of why Emilia has this store is for the art classes. The shop is 50/50 supplies and classes.

“It is just about getting the word out,” Sara said. 

Maggiolly Arts Supplies is dedicated strictly to quality art supplies for really good prices. Emilia wants to make things affordable.

For years, she and Sara have wanted to run classes in the evening but did not find enough support for them when they tried in the fall. They still hope to try again in the spring and they invite input about this and any other matters about classes or supply needs. 

“We have a great roster of artists teaching; we can provide a great variety of lessons,” came the assurance.

Sara’s brother, Jordan works as an art installer for the National Gallery in Ottawa, as well as the AGO in Toronto, Art Gallery in Oakville and others. Jordan went to OCAD University in Toronto.

What Sara loves about the shop is, “It always just felt like a second home to me; just the thought to go and it has everything you need – wrap a gift, make a sign or just having a space to create things where there’s people that can help you.”

Maggiolly Art Supplies is at 158 Broadway and is open seven days a week. For more information, go to www.maggiollyarts.com.

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