Touring program showcases artwork to students

Sep 27, 2017 | 3:00 PM

Students at Jubilee Community School in Meadow Lake had the chance to see works of art from Regina’s MacKenzie Art Gallery this week – all without leaving the halls of their school.

As a part of their Provincial Touring Artist and Exhibition Program, the gallery does interactive talks at schools around the province. This program has been running since 1971.

This fall, the project Jubilee students got to see is part of a collection called Across the Turtle’s Back, the Kapelmacher Memorial Collection of Indigenous Art. Thirteen different artworks from the expansive collection of Yellowknife collectors Thomas Druyan and Alice Ladner are part of this tour, and more than 100 different works are in the midst of being donated to the MacKenzieArt Gallery. A few notable artists include Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig and Carl Beam. 

Ken Duczek, Coordinator of Learning Initiatives with the gallery, spoke to the students at the school about the various Indigenous artworks and artists. He also read a Plains Cree story called Wisahkecahk Flies to the Moon, and had students try their hand at conjuring their own images inspired by both the story and the various art styles they learned about.

Daryl Pearson, the principal of Jubilee, said the school has hosted the program a few times over the last eight years, and the students’ reception to it is always positive.

“I think they enjoy it,” he said. “Especially when they get to do an activity that’s connected to what they’re doing – that’s powerful.”

He said it’s a great learning opportunity for the students. 

“To expose it to our students, and learn about what is right here in our province is good for them,” Pearson said.

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath