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35 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,June 27,2019 insidehalton.com It's in your hands. Make sure your favourite business or professional is nominated for the Oakville Beaver's 2019 Readers' Choice Awards. The Oakville Beavers' Choice Awards were created so you can tell us which local businesses and service providers are the best at what they do. Once the nominations close on Monday, August 5, the nominees will be shortlisted and you will have the chance to vote for your favourite. Help make your favourite local business become a Oakville Beavers' Choice. NomiNatioNs Now opeN Start nominating now at readerschoice.oakvillebeaver.com • Automotive • entertAinment • restAurAnt • Food/drink/grocery • home/home improvement • heAlth/wellness/Fitness/beAuty • shopping • people/proFessionAls • proFessionAl servicesKSM. 485 Kerr Street, Oakville. 905.845-7485. Charitable Reg. No. 897106845RR0001 Business in Oakville Striving to make a difference in the commu- nity, the Oakville Arts Studio is celebrating 10 years of being a home away from home for art enthusiasts. Owner and founder Ixchel Suarez opened the studio after moving to Canada from Mex-the studio after moving to Canada from Mex-the studio after moving to Canada from Mex ico. After her move, she wanted to branch out and start something new. An artist her-out and start something new. An artist her-out and start something new. An artist her self, Suarez began teaching her kids art techniques and loved watching them learn and create their own art. Drawing on that experience, Suarez and her sister Myriam, who joined in 2011, teamed up to open the Oakville Arts Studio. "We started 10 years ago in a basement and we've been growing ever since," Suarez explained. "Today, we have almost 300 stu- dents, nine different studios and offer mu- sic, art, life drawing, events, concerts, cre- ative writing and so much more." Celebrating the milestone anniversary, the studio hosted a celebration at the end of May and at the end of this month, on Sunday, June 30, it will also present a Mexican night with the best Mariachi in Canada, Mexico Amigo, Mexican cuisine and other activities geared to the special night's theme. Over the years the studio has expanded to be more than a place for children and youth to enjoy the arts. Its offerings now also cater to children and youth with special needs. There is a focus on being a place where teenagers and youth struggling with mental illnesses can find a safe place and enjoy the arts. "We develop many different techniques, one thing we've seen in the community is the growing need for space where children and youth can develop self-esteem, confi- dence and not just become artists," Suarez said. Offering programs for not only children and youth, but also adults, the Oakville Arts Studio runs a monthly event called "Wine Not Art?" where registrants 19 and older can come and paint a picture while sipping on wine. The studio also runs a yearly art trip called "Artistic Getaway", that attracts both arts studio students and art lovers from the community. Hoping to make a difference in people's lives, and also to reduce negative impact on our environment, Oakville Arts Studio is cer-our environment, Oakville Arts Studio is cer-our environment, Oakville Arts Studio is cer tified green. Tools, products and materials used and made in the studio are recyclable. Used paper is often passed on to the mixed media and sculpture studios to be reused since they belong to Communities for Con- servation "I always like to listen to what's going on in our community and connect with the com- munity," Suarez said. "We're creating artists here and building a community. We've had artists here since they were little kids. We have co-op and volunteer programs and hire students. We focus on giving to the commu- nity and the community is giving back to us with talented students." The Oakville Arts Studio is located at 280 North Service Rd. West. For more in- formation, visit the studio on social media, or online at www.oakvilleartsstudio.com. Oakville Arts Studio celebrates a decade of nurturing artists