Welcome to Next Door Neighbour Studio
Next Door Neighbour Studio aims to provide a hub and gathering space for community members, and beyond to gather, learn and create together.
The mission of Next Door Neighbour Studio is to create a welcoming, supportive and encouraging space for folks from all walks of life to learn and experiment creatively together.
Meet The Team
Our instructors are passionate artists dedicated to helping you develop your skills and discover new artistic practices. They bring a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive artistic community.
Jill Peters McGillivray
The Keeper of the Space/Co-Owner
Jill is the co-owner of Next Door Neighbour Studio, and founder of ‘Art with Jill’ - art classes for kids.
Jill began teaching 1 student in 2015 out of her home, and grew her little business to host about 60 kids each week and runs art camps in her backyard all summer. Jill’s approach to teaching is open, and process based, focusing on the act of making rather than the final product. She will mangage the studio at Next Door and the creative mess that happens here!
Jill earned a BFA from the University of Manitoba in 2012 and is a practicing artist/painter, also working in her studio downtown.
Jill and her family are proud members of the Glenelm neighbourhood and live walking distance from the studio.
Jeremy Wat
The Digital Alchemist/Instructor
Jer is the Digital Alchemist and an instructor at Next Door Neighbour Studios with a focus on adult classes and workshops. He attended a fine arts highschool in Toronto where he was taught many art forms including sculpture, illustration, printmaking, and graphic design. He was known by his teachers as the one who wouldn’t write his book reports but preferred illustrating them. He took this love and has illustrated several children's books. Now based in Winnipeg, he has developed a passion for the art and community of printmaking. After teaching a few workshops on block printing in schools and art spaces, he developed a fascination for teaching. This led to the opportunity to be a studio instructor at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq, teaching adult students the art of block printing. He and his creative family crew love and live in Glenelm, just a short walk away from the studio.
Helga Jakobson
The Wizard of Admin/Co-Owner
Helga Jakobson is the Wizard of Admin and co-owner of Next Door Neighbour Studio, and a transdisciplinary artist. She has an MFA and has exhibited, lectured and participated in residencies across North America, Colombia and Europe. She has been teaching at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (ranging from preschool-adult) for the past seven years, has been an Artist in the Schools through the Manitoba Arts Council and has mentored through multiple organizations.
She served as the Executive Director of ArtsJunktion from 2020-2023 and currently works as the Sustainability Coordinator for the Forks. She is the Butterflyway Ranger for GlenElm and is passionate about the environment and sustainability, loves gardening and walking dog Wednesday around our beautiful GlenElm neighbourhood.
Disa Haldorson
Instructor
Disa is a multidisciplinary artist working primarily in Functional Ceramics, Sculptural Ceramics, Installation, and Performance Art. A lifelong resident of Glenelm, Disa has been facilitating ceramic classes for over 6 years, and enjoys guiding both adults and children in finding their own unique creative expression and voice.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours in 2015, their personal practice explores lesbian and gay politics and how the queer community navigates heteronormative societies. Their primary focus has been to shed light on and explore masculine of centre lesbian identities, societal perceptions, and the gender roles they are assumed to inhabit. Their work strives to confront the viewer with their preconceived notions of lesbianism and lesbian culture as well as the idealized female figures seen throughout straight culture.