By Nikki Hainstock

Special to the Record

Over the last couple of months, about 30 students, Grades 1-6 have been meeting on Tuesday afternoons, at Huband Park Elementary, learning a little about art history and making art together.

This program was started to provide some intensive art-making experience for the kids, as well as offering them exposure and context to some art that is significant to the modern canon.

The students studied a little about the life and art of Emily Carr, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Basquiat - artists who created in very different times, through very different lenses, genders, skin colours and, who oriented from different parts of the world. The choice of artists allowed the students to explore varying styles, techniques and approaches to modern art making and gave the children, an albeit brief but somewhat broad overview of what art is and how it can be approached.

The span of ages made each meeting a very loud, fun, and colourful adventure. For our last two sessions, the class worked with balls, marbles, and found objects in nature to print and create more abstract, less controlled works.

To culminate and close our time together, the children and I put on an Art Show, showcasing some of the work they have done, at the Merville Hall on Monday June 13, 5-7 p.m., with 150-200 people attending. The kids were thrilled to share their work with their families and community, and have worked and played hard, making brave new marks, on not just paper and canvas, but on how they see the world, art, and each other. We are so proud of them all!