The McMillan Arts Centre will come to life with youthful exuberance during the month of May when students from three School District 69 (Qualicum) schools exhibit their work.
In one gallery will be the work by PASS/Woodwinds students, who range in age from 13 to 21 years old. These students will present a mixed-media show filled with watercolours, acrylics and pottery.
“My philosophy, when working with my students, is to allow them to choose their medium, help them develop their ideas, support them with skill development, but then let them loose,” said art teacher Jayne Lapper.
“I like to support them with their creativity, but not limit them with restrictions and too many instructions. What comes out of this is tremendously expression-filled artwork.”
Alongside this work will be a collection of drawings, paintings, prints and ceramic works by students from Ballenas Secondary School.
For their exhibition, the grade 8-12 students chose the theme “marks and spaces.” Art teacher Graeme Nailor said the young artists “explore their identity through the creation of images about their emotional response to living in our culture.”
“The process of creating art is therapeutic,” he said. “At Ballenas we provide a safe nurturing art room where students can develop images that explore their relationships with themselves, their community and their environment.”
Finally, the show will be completed by the varied work of Kwalikum Secondary School art students.
According to art teacher Fiona Mathison, inspiration for the pieces came from stories, abstractions from nature, a sense of community and the love of creating.
“Many of these students have taken art every year at high school and are masters in many different materials,” she said. “This will be their final school show and many will continue their creative endeavours after high school.”
The exhibition and sale will run May 1-30. The opening reception will be held on Friday, May 1 from 7-9 p.m.
Everyone is invited to attend the reception to meet the artists and enjoy complimentary refreshments.
—NEWS Staff/MAC