Anna Syperek met her husband Peter Murphy in Toronto where Anna was a Fine Arts student at York University and Peter was developing his photographic skills in the big city. They moved to Antigonish, Peter’s home town, in 1971. By the late seventies Anna was ready to resume her art education ; she entered NSCAD in 1977 , graduating in Fine Arts in 1980, her medium as a printmaker is the difficult art of etching. The Lyghtesome Gallery has represented her work since 1977.

Anna also embraced the profession of teaching and taught art for Continuing Education, at Guysborough . By 1986, Peter and Anna were ready to build their home on Mahoney’s Beach road where she looks at the sea and works at a wonderful garden as well as working in her on site studio.

Her art career was also moving forward as she joined the art department at St Francis Xavier University, teaching an extension art course organized by NSCAD. She was Tom Roach’s sabbatical replacement in 1989 and continued teaching, introducing students to the etching process. After the art department’s move to its new location in Immaculata Anna teaches 3^rd year drawing and water-colour.

Syperek’s etching technique features a remarkably fine texture; unlike famous etchings such as those by Rembrandt, with his dark passages indicated by specific interior or induced light sources, Anna’s delicate delineation of the bare branches of winter clinging to the land together with a small farm nestling in a valley, conveys an emotion that is also strong and enduring.

In the late nineties Syperek embarked on oil paints- rendering the sweep of the landscape required a larger scale – in a few years she had enough work to consider a solo exhibition.With this in mind, the Inverness County Centre for the Arts was contacted and a tour of western Scotland venues was arranged. The first showing was at the Inverness Art Centre in June 2005, followed by her solo exhibition at St Frances Xavier University art gallery.. The overseas opening was at the Gaelic College, Isle of Skye, then thework travelled to North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Strontian and Glen Urquhart Centre. The show was well received and experiencing Scottish sea travel quite an unusual thrill- the song “Over the sea to Skye” comes to mind.

The catalogue is produced in both English and Gaelic. Lines of poetry by Joyce Rankin

and an introduction by Dr Dan MacInnes are included.

The landscapes are large commanding views of Cape Breton farms- Syperek integrates the work of the farm- husbandry- with the life of the people who build the houses and sheds- they and the animals are present in the spirit that informs all her work- that seasonal recapturing of the memory of our roots.

Felicity RedgraveRCA

Nancy Turniawan is the centre of the arts circle when it comes to organizing events for children at the Antigonish Education Centre (AEC). She has taught art for twenty-five years, ten of which have been at the AEC. With the enthusiastic help of principal Mr. Milford Austin, she has created a vibrant school and outreach art program.
With the experience of years of community arts involvement behind her, Turniawan became aware of the need for a more profound relationship between professional artists and the children and parents interested in art and creativity.
In 2008, Turniawan asked artist Anne Camozzi to pilot a project of working with groups of six children in a studio-like setting at the AEC. Fifty children participated. Anne introduced the technique of creating continuous line drawings on silk. Then the children crafted their images using oil pastels and water -color paints on matt board. The end result was an exhibition of the children’s pieces, created during the workshop, presented along the halls of AEC. Parents and friends were treated to an event complete with refreshments.
In April 2009, Turniawan and a colleague Cindy McPherson organized an event at the AEC, “Celebrating the Arts in the Community”. Thirty-eight artists set up displays of their pieces and were available for discussion about their work. Several students brought a unique selection of paintings, collages and clay works. The cafeteria was a sight to behold! The opportunity to connect parents and children with artists was clear and under Turniawan’s leadership a parent and artist group was formed: Artists and Families Fostering Art (AFFA). A form was developed and sent home with each child to gather information needed to make informed decisions about where, when and how the workshops would be delivered. The concept at the heart of the program was to enhance a child’s art experience away from school and have small groups of parents and children visit and create in an artist’s studio. “I really enjoyed when I got to meet other kids and artists and learned how to do things I didn’t think I could do”, states ten-year-old workshop participant Valerie Leighton.
In November 2009, AFFA began to organize workshops. Ceramic artist Fenn Martin offered a workshop in clay sculptures at his studio in the Ohio Valley. Rhiannon Smith, a Nova Scotia College of Art and Design graduate, taught a workshop on mask making held at the Lion’s Club, and Turniawan (a photographer and clay artist at heart) taught a workshop in her home on all the different ways to make clay bowls.
Help for funding previous workshops came through a Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS), “PAINTS” program. Hopefully a new partnership with GAPACC will ensure the workshops will continue.
Turniawan is enjoying her creative young students and her classroom is filled with artwork. It is easy to imagine her being inspired here and wanting to design a program that extends the art experience beyond the classroom. She is eager to hear from parents and artists who are interested in being part of this learning community.
“Partnerships that build a community are the key to the holistic success of any project” Stated Turniawan. “These workshops have been met with enthusiasm and joy”
Thank you Nancy Turniawan for turning your own enthusiasm and joy outward.

If you go to the Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council’s web site www.antigonishculturealive.ca, you can find Artists and Families Fostering Art (AFFA) information about workshops that involve professional artists, parents and children.Nancy Turniawan is the centre of the arts circle when it comes to organizing events for children at the Antigonish Education Centre (AEC). She has taught art for twenty-five years, ten of which have been at the AEC. With the enthusiastic help of principal Mr. Milford Austin, she has created a vibrant school and outreach art program.

With the experience of years of community arts involvement behind her, Turniawan became aware of the need for a more profound relationship between professional artists and the children and parents interested in art and creativity.

In 2008, Turniawan asked artist Anne Camozzi to pilot a project of working with groups of six children in a studio-like setting at the AEC. Fifty children participated. Anne introduced the technique of creating continuous line drawings on silk. Then the children crafted their images using oil pastels and water -color paints on matt board. The end result was an exhibition of the children’s pieces, created during the workshop, presented along the halls of AEC. Parents and friends were treated to an event complete with refreshments.

In April 2009, Turniawan and a colleague Cindy McPherson organized an event at the AEC, “Celebrating the Arts in the Community”. Thirty-eight artists set up displays of their pieces and were available for discussion about their work. Several students brought a unique selection of paintings, collages and clay works. The cafeteria was a sight to behold! The opportunity to connect parents and children with artists was clear and under Turniawan’s leadership a parent and artist group was formed: Artists and Families Fostering Art (AFFA). A form was developed and sent home with each child to gather information needed to make informed decisions about where, when and how the workshops would be delivered. The concept at the heart of the program was to enhance a child’s art experience away from school and have small groups of parents and children visit and create in an artist’s studio. “I really enjoyed when I got to meet other kids and artists and learned how to do things I didn’t think I could do”, states ten-year-old workshop participant Valerie Leighton.

In November 2009, AFFA began to organize workshops. Ceramic artist Fenn Martin offered a workshop in clay sculptures at his studio in the Ohio Valley. Rhiannon Smith, a Nova Scotia College of Art and Design graduate, taught a workshop on mask making held at the Lion’s Club, and Turniawan (a photographer and clay artist at heart) taught a workshop in her home on all the different ways to make clay bowls.

Help for funding previous workshops came through a Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS), “PAINTS” program. Hopefully a new partnership with GAPACC will ensure the workshops will continue.

Turniawan is enjoying her creative young students and her classroom is filled with artwork. It is easy to imagine her being inspired here and wanting to design a program that extends the art experience beyond the classroom. She is eager to hear from parents and artists who are interested in being part of this learning community.

“Partnerships that build a community are the key to the holistic success of any project” Stated Turniawan. “These workshops have been met with enthusiasm and joy”

Thank you Nancy Turniawan for turning your own enthusiasm and joy outward.

If you go to the Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council’s web site www.antigonishculturealive.ca, you can find Artists and Families Fostering Art (AFFA) information about workshops that involve professional artists, parents and children.

Nancy Turniawan is the centre of the arts circle when it comes to organizing events for children at the Antigonish Education Centre (AEC). She has taught art for twenty-five years, ten of which have been at the AEC. With the enthusiastic help of principal Mr. Milford Austin, she has created a vibrant school and outreach art program.

With the experience of years of community arts involvement behind her, Turniawan became aware of the need for a more profound relationship between professional artists and the children and parents interested in art and creativity.

In 2008, Turniawan asked artist Anne Camozzi to pilot a project of working with groups of six children in a studio-like setting at the AEC. Fifty children participated. Anne introduced the technique of creating continuous line drawings on silk. Then the children crafted their images using oil pastels and water -color paints on matt board. The end result was an exhibition of the children’s pieces, created during the workshop, presented along the halls of AEC. Parents and friends were treated to an event complete with refreshments.

In April 2009, Turniawan and a colleague Cindy McPherson organized an event at the AEC, “Celebrating the Arts in the Community”. Thirty-eight artists set up displays of their pieces and were available for discussion about their work. Several students brought a unique selection of paintings, collages and clay works. The cafeteria was a sight to behold! The opportunity to connect parents and children with artists was clear and under Turniawan’s leadership a parent and artist group was formed: Artists and Families Fostering Art (AFFA). A form was developed and sent home with each child to gather information needed to make informed decisions about where, when and how the workshops would be delivered. The concept at the heart of the program was to enhance a child’s art experience away from school and have small groups of parents and children visit and create in an artist’s studio. “I really enjoyed when I got to meet other kids and artists and learned how to do things I didn’t think I could do”, states ten-year-old workshop participant Valerie Leighton.

In November 2009, AFFA began to organize workshops. Ceramic artist Fenn Martin offered a workshop in clay sculptures at his studio in the Ohio Valley. Rhiannon Smith, a Nova Scotia College of Art and Design graduate, taught a workshop on mask making held at the Lion’s Club, and Turniawan (a photographer and clay artist at heart) taught a workshop in her home on all the different ways to make clay bowls.

Help for funding previous workshops came through a Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS), “PAINTS” program. Hopefully a new partnership with GAPACC will ensure the workshops will continue.

Turniawan is enjoying her creative young students and her classroom is filled with artwork. It is easy to imagine her being inspired here and wanting to design a program that extends the art experience beyond the classroom. She is eager to hear from parents and artists who are interested in being part of this learning community.

“Partnerships that build a community are the key to the holistic success of any project” Stated Turniawan. “These workshops have been met with enthusiasm and joy”

Thank you Nancy Turniawan for turning your own enthusiasm and joy outward.

If you go to the Guysborough Antigonish Pictou Arts and Culture Council’s web site www.antigonishculturealive.ca, you can find Artists and Families Fostering Art (AFFA) information about workshops that involve professional artists, parents and children.