The work of elementary school students is on display at the Quesnel Art Gallery. The annual Kidz Art show opened on Thursday, March 4, with this year’s slate of art created by students from kindergarten to grade seven.
The annual show is one of Quesnel Art Gallery director Marguerite Hall’s favourites. The former teacher said it was important to celebrate this side of children’s development.
“Art is not academic, art is feeling and it has inclusivity. Everyone can do art,” she said. “To teach kids the value of expression, and not grading it based on ‘yours is better than yours.’ I think that’s really important for the emotional and social well-being of students.”
The art on display is in a variety of styles and mediums, depending on the class.
“We always put it up at this time because the gallery is open during spring break,” Hall said. “Families can come down and see the work of their children and their peers. It’s a very good show this year. This year there’s a lot of different kinds of art.”
After being on display throughout spring break, the work will move to the school district’s offices, where it will be on display for the rest of the year.
Hall said displaying student art in a gallery show falls in line with the “big ideas” teachers try to impart on students through the arts.
“(Students) are going to engage in art, they’re going to experiment. It’s a creative language, it allows them to communicate and understand cultures,” she said. “Art is in everyday life. What we do influences our art, and what we do is influenced by art.”
Hall said treating student art the same way as other shows is an important step for healthy community learning.
“(The show) validates their creative processes, it acknowledges the development of a child isn’t just reading, writing and arithmetic,” she said. “We have sports days, all those things. Here, in the community, we have an art show that showcases the creativity of the kids.”
The Kidz Art show will be on display inside the Quesnel Art Gallery until Saturday, March 27.
READ MORE: Quesnel Art Gallery prepares for full 2021 schedule
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cassidy.dankochik@quesnelobserver.com
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