Multidisciplinary artist announced as Winnipeg's newest maker-in-residence

A multidisciplinary artist has been selected as the Winnipeg Public Library's newest maker-in-residence.

Raymond Lyttle creates in ceramics and using ink, watercolour and oil paints. 

He will teach weekly drop-in studio sessions at the Millennium Library's ideaMill and offer scheduled workshops at other library branches, including programs for families and youth, the City of Winnipeg announced in a news release on Monday. 

"It's really exciting to not only be embarking on my first residency, but also for it to be at the library specifically. I'm incredibly excited to be meeting with folks who use the library and with it being such an accessible space where anyone can come here," he told CBC. 

The maker-in-residence program will run from March 3 until June 14 and include sessions on creating art with watercolour, water-soluble oils, sculpture and print-making.  

Lyttle's journey as an artist began when he was a toddler. He remembers receiving a scanned book filled with drawings he made before the age of six. 

"I've been making art with my family specifically, and my dad was a huge influence in how I engage with art, and so from an early age, it's just a way that I connect with humans and people and the world around me."

He started using watercolour as he grew up and became inspired by illustrations in books, he said.  

"Whatever I end up doing for the rest of my life, art is going to have to play a role," Lyttle said.

Lyttle enjoys watching how others interpret his prompts and he's excited to see what the community will bring to workshops and studio sessions.

"Wherever you're coming from as an artist with experience or not, I hope you give it a shot. Come in, try something out, even if it's just 15 minutes out of your day," Lyttle said.

"Giving yourself the chance to be creative is a way of giving yourself space to exist and when you give yourself a chance to do something new, that's a really loving thing to do for yourself."

The program connects people visiting the library with professionals who are passionate about their craft in visual and creative arts, technology and digital media, the news release said. 

Workshops at the Millennium Library will take place during the afternoons on Mondays and then during the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

People can also register for workshops that will be hosted at the St. Vital, Windsor Park, St. Boniface, Louis Riel and Transcona library branches, Lyttle said. 

The library hosts up to three makers each year and offered its first maker-in-residence program, which is funded by the City of Winnipeg, in December 2022.

For more information about the program, visit the library's website.