Art Whisperer: Ricky Schaede
In 2014, Ricky Schaede cofounded Club Art, an open studio for kids now at Orangeville’s Mill Street library.
Art Whisperer: Ricky Schaede, 25, Orangeville. Photo by Pete Paterson.
Almost every one of Ricky Schaede’s waking hours is dedicated to art. The Orangeville community arts advocate teaches painting, manages the Broadway art store Maggiolly Art and creates his own works (for more on his latest mind-bending canvases, see Artist in Residence). Although he once considered pursuing writing, Ricky has instead doubled down on the artist’s life.
In 2014 he cofounded Club Art, a biweekly open studio now held at Orangeville’s Mill Street library. Ricky and other artists invite young creators to drop in and use free supplies. The idea? Kids create art, make friends and nourish a creative community.
As an instructor with over 100 classes logged this year, Ricky feels it’s important for kids to work in a supportive environment. 
He loves to tell them their art is cool – something they don’t always hear or believe. The process helps develop fine motor skills as well as self-identity, he says. Ricky is himself a lifelong learner, travelling to Austria, for instance, to study a Renaissance painting technique using oils and egg tempera.
“Art is a really powerful tool for living in a positive way. I want to live a life of art, and to share the joy of art with the community and the world at large.”
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