The AHVA Workshop at Dorothy Somerset Studios provides a safe facility, specialized equipment, materials, and staff to support a wide range of student and faculty projects.
The AHVA Workshop supports multiple visual-art-related processes, such as canvas stretcher construction and small-scale sculpture in wood, plastic, and plaster.
Students and faculty may access stationary-powered equipment in the shop and sign out some smaller hand tools for up to a week after passing orientations. The drawing, painting, and sculpture technician supervises the safe use of tools and equipment, provides technical support, and offers one-on-one consultation.
To use the AHVA Workshop, you must complete the safety workshop and certificate, review the access policies and wear protective clothing.
The AHVA Workshop currently houses a variety of hand-held and larger power tools and a thorough selection of hand tools available for students and faculty use. A wide variety of tools are available, but students should provide their own protective equipment (PPE) and a few essential items due to the limited availability of some supplies.
The following is an overview of the tools available to students in the AHVA shop:
Power tools
- Staple guns
- Saws (circular saws, jigsaw, table saw, chop saw, bandsaw, reciprocating saw)
- Drills (corded/less)
- Drill press
- Dremel
- Nail guns
- Sanders (corded/less, orbital, palm, stationary)
- Spray guns (airbrush and automatic)
- Soldering iron, station, torch
Hand tools
- Hot glue
- Measuring tools
- Clamps
- Hand saws
- Flocker
- Caulking gun
- Wrenches
- Assorted hand tools
Additionally, the shop has various cleaning supplies (vacuums, brooms, dustpans), ladders, dollys, and other equipment to make using your studio space as productive and as easy as possible.
Borrowing
Specific hand tools, smaller, lightweight power tools, and all the cleaning supplies are available for sign-out through the shop technician.
Access
All students can access the Workshop during its operation hours:
- Monday – Friday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
- Closed daily from 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Note: Facilities and hours of operation apply only during fall and winter terms (September to April) each year. The Workshop is not generally available during the summer.
Address
Room 106, 6361 University Boulevard, V6T 1Z2