Art + Design Education Leaders
We're known for providing unique and flexible programs taught by professionals who have shaped art, craft, design, media and heritage studies in Canada. No other college offers students this breadth of creative programming.
Learn at campuses in Haliburton and Peterborough that provide a one-of-a kind, hands-on studio experience. Our certificate, diploma and post-graduate programs will help you build a solid portfolio to take you to the next step - whether that's continuing education, embarking on a career, or starting your own practice.
Featured Program
Build Your Foundation, Then Ignite Your Creativity
Earn a Visual and Creative Arts diploma in just three semesters with foundation courses and hands-on studio experience!
Apply Now-
Visual and Creative Arts
Train like an artist and build a powerful foundation in visual art. No matter your medium, this diploma helps you grow your skills and perspective with hands-on studio learning.
Visual and Creative Arts -
Summer Course Registration Open!
Weeklong and single day workshops to build your skills.
March Break Creative Adventure Starts Soon! -
Create, learn, and live where inspiration surrounds you.
We’re happy to share that for the first time ever, HSAD students can enjoy the convenience of on-campus housing. Learn more about your future accommodations in Haliburton.
Coming this Fall 2025. Learn more.
Art Certificates
Diploma Programs
Continuing Education
Centre for Making
Haliburton Accommodations
Diploma Program
Post Graduate Programs
Meet our Faculty
Shannon Kennedy
Instructor for:
Shannon Kennedy has been exploring the cutting edge of design using digital manufacturing technologies like 3D printing for years, integrating the skills of the craft artist and the technologies of manufacturing. 3D modelling, rapid prototyping, and 3D printing advanced techniques have created a new way for her to realize her designs as a jeweller. She graduated in 1996 from the Ontario College of Art and Design and furthered her jewellery making skills by attending George Brown College's Jewellery Art Program. She is an award-winning designer, a Saul Bell finalist, and published PMC artist. In recognition of her PMC work, she was invited to give a PMC demonstration at the SNAG Conference in Toronto, 2013. Shannon is a passionate instructor at several colleges and galleries, as well as at her studio. She and her partner are currently running their own jewellery business, Cynosure Jewelry. For More Information: @cynosurej | cynosure-jewelry.com
Helen McCusker
Instructor for:
Helen McCusker is a graduate of the Sheridan College Illustration Program and has been a practicing artist for more than 40 years. A member of the Etobicoke Art Group, she has work in private collections, and exhibits in solo, juried and group exhibitions. For over 20 years, Helen has taught art classes throughout the GTA, specializing in drawing, figure drawing and painting, portraiture, and paper sculpture. Helen's teaching is based on a solid understanding of drawing and design principles and personal attention to each student. She is enthusiastic about helping students discover their potential and encouraging artistic exploration. For More Information: @helen mccusker | eaglewoodstudios.blogspot.ca
Susan Watson Ellis
Instructor for:
Susan Watson Ellis followed graduation from the University of Toronto with an apprenticeship to a German Goldsmith. In 1981, she opened Paradigm Designs, creating handcrafted jewellery that sold across Canada. Her work won recognition in 2000 as part of the Craft Ontario's "Looking Forward" exhibition, which was curated by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England and represented contemporary Canadian craft. She was also chosen to be part of their "Craft in the Making II" exhibition in 2003, their juried exhibition "Ontario Craft '07", and to be one of eight jewellers chosen to be part of their "8 X 10 Jewellery" exhibition series in 2012. Her work is part of the permanent contemporary Canadian silver collection at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre in Guelph, Ontario and is available from her studio in Haliburton, at the Toronto One of a Kind Shows, the Craft Ontario Shop, and online. For More Information: @paradigmjewellery | paradigmjewellery.com
Elise Muller
Elise Muller has been sculpting stone since 2001 and her large public sculptures can be found in Dorset, Fergus, and Kingsbrae Garden. Elise's granite sculpture 'Attunement' won the 2018/9 Canadian Sculpture Competition at Kingsbrae Garden in St. Andrews, NB. Elise has been teaching stone carving to both adults and children for 19 years, and enjoys nurturing her students' individual creativity. Elise lives and works at Stone Tree Studio in Muskoka with her partner, furniture maker Cirvan Hamilton. For More Information: @elisemuller_art | stonetreestudio.ca
Albert Cote
Albert Cote graduated from Brock University with BA degrees in Visual Arts and Education. His natural artistic abilities, imagination, visual arts background, and his experience in operating a quilt store for many years has served as a starting point for a very successful longarm and fibre arts career. He has many commissioned pieces in the Niagara area as well as throughout Canada and the US. His innovative classes and trunk shows are an attraction for many people in the quilting world. For More Information: imaginationtextile.com
Heather Vollans
Heather Vollans explored many pursuits - paper-mache sculpture, furniture restoration, acrylic and oil painting, quilting, collage, and decoupage until eventually mosaic became her passion. She has been teaching indoor and outdoor mosaic for a number of years in her studio and at venues including Mohawk College in Hamilton, Glenhyrst Gallery in Brantford, schools in various school boards, as well as locations in Mexico, her native Australia, and Ireland. Heather created public art for the Children's Memorial Gardens, Brantford and has spearheaded a number of community and large-scale school projects. In her studio practice, Heather's mosaic work is mostly abstract. The combination of textures, working either harmoniously or disparately, is what fires her interest. She finds the process of experimenting with materials to be the most enjoyable and important part of the process. The value of using discarded or found objects for art is an essential tool in her teaching and her art practice. For More Information: @heathervollans | dawningdecorstudio.com
Fly Freeman
Fly Freeman trained as a sculptor in Scotland, where she started her career as a stone carver, carving everything from gargoyles to gravestones and large-scale public commissions in granite. A mid-career move to Canada led to a radical shift in her sculptural practice: carving has been joined by construction as a sculptural method, and wood and other media are now worked alongside the stone. www.flyfreeman.com
Susan Fisher
Instructor for:
Susan Fisher earned her BFA in Visual Arts and an Art Education Diploma at Concordia University, majoring in Graphic Design and Sculpture. Her Master's in Cultural Anthropology through Trent University focused on Indigenous Art Expression. Susan taught in Northern Alberta as an elementary teacher in a Metis Colony and then as a French Immersion teacher in Peace River. Since the mid '80's she taught art in various media and is now completely devoted to teaching Encaustic techniques with beeswax with HSAD, privately, and in various commercial galleries. Susan has shown in many galleries in Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta and was chosen to exhibit at the prestigious annual group show in Sagamihara Japan. Her work is currently shown at Meta4 Gallery. For More Information: @fencaustic | fisherencaustic.com
Jan Anderson
Jan Anderson became a committed fabric artist-quilter after taking her first course at the Haliburton School of Art + Design. After experimenting and creating with glass, wood, stone, paper and wire, she is addicted to the texture, diversity and colour of textiles. Jan manipulates wax, wool rovings, rust, paint, dye, pigment, canvas, cotton, origami, embellishments, and more to produce unique wall hangings. She has over seventeen years of teaching experience at colleges and universities in Ontario and is recognized for her passion, creativity and innovation, touched by humour and motivation. For More Information: bytheriverstudio.com
Toni Caldarone
Toni Caldarone has been a 'maker' throughout her life, inspired by natural found and recycled objects. Having had a career in the corporate world, she stayed in touch with art through classes at Toronto School of Art, AGO, HSAD and Learn4Life. Downsizing brought Toni back to the creative world where she describes herself as a self-taught, mixed-media expressive artist. Her life's journey, her enthusiasm and her artistic vision have provided the opportunity to translate her skills into hands-on experiences with her students for nearly twenty years. Toni has shown work through exhibitions as well as private and event sales. She loves to encourage creativity through positive experiences in a supportive atmosphere.
