The Lloydminster Public Library is welcoming its first-ever artist in residence, bringing new opportunities for creativity and community engagement over the next two months.
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Library director Cheryl Sikora said the program will offer a variety of free activities for patrons while highlighting the work of local artist Clark Gerald Romero.
“We’re going to have an artist in residence at the library for the next two months, and he’ll be offering a variety of programming,” said Sikora.
Programming will include open studio hours, workshops and collaborative art projects designed to bring people together.
“One of the things he’ll offer is open studio hours where he’ll come in and work on his art,” she said. “Patrons will have a chance to watch him draw, paint and sketch, ask questions and interact with him.”
Romero, originally from the Philippines, has been living in Canada for nearly four years. He said he’s excited about the opportunity to connect with the community through art.
“I’m really excited,” said Romero. “I’ll be hosting oil pastel workshops and classes, as well as artist hours where people can come hang out, draw and work on their art. I’ll be happy to give tips and also learn from them.”
He will also host open studio sessions, a caricature night and doodle workshops where participants can turn their artwork into stickers.
Sikora said artist-in-residence programs are common in libraries, but this marks the first time the Lloydminster library has hosted one.
The program is funded through Sask Lotteries and was open to newcomer or Indigenous artists. Romero was selected for the role after moving to Lloydminster to join his family.
“My mom came to Canada for work first and was in Montreal, while my dad was working in Lloydminster,” said Romero. “Eventually, we moved here and I’ve met so many great people.”
Along with community programming, Romero will create a unique legacy project for the library.
“During that time, he’ll be creating a colouring book, which will be our legacy piece,” said Sikora. “It’s very common for artist-in-residence programs to end with something like a painting or sculpture, but we like to do things a little differently. Clark will be creating a colouring book that we’ll have multiple copies of available to the public.”
Another collaborative project will invite patrons to contribute to a large art installation made up of coloured tiles.
“He’s also designed a motif that will allow for community input,” said Sikora. “People can take home a colouring tile and Clark will arrange them together into an artistic wallpaper piece in the library.”
Romero said the design reflects local and library themes.
“Items in the motifs tiles represent the wild rose of Alberta and the red lily of Saskatchewan,” he said. “In the centre are the five values of the Lloydminster Public Library: diversity, inclusion, intellectual freedom, collaboration and service.”
Romero is also studying interior design at Lakeland College and hopes the experience will help him build skills for his future career.
“In interior design you work with clients, so communication is really important,” he said. “I’m hoping to improve my social skills, meet more people and build connections in the community.”
Sikora said the program aligns with the library’s goal of bringing people together through creative programming.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to engage people in different ways, be creative and build community,” she said. “This is another step toward being inclusive and diverse and living out the library’s values through our programming.”
The library has seen growing interest from the community since moving to its new location, with Sikora noting more than 106,000 people visited the facility in 2025 and over 10,000 participated in programs. “Almost everything at the library is free,” she said. “We’re really proud to offer high-quality programming at no cost.”
Gerald Romero’s schedule at the library is as follows:
Open studio
Come watch Clark in action. He will be hard at work on the Lloydminster Public Library legacy project and will be happy to answer your questions.
General public – all ages, drop-in, informal, no registration required
Friday, March 6 – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday, March 12 – 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 13 – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 – 3:30 p.m. – 5pm
Thursday, March 19 – 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 20 – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday, March 27 – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 28 – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Artist hours
Bring your own project to work on in the company of fellow artists. Create in the community. Optional opportunity to ask questions as well as offer/receive guidance and constructive criticism.
Amateur artists, drop-in, no registration required
Saturday, March 7 – 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 – 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 15 – 3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 28 – 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 29 – 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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