Expression, passion, inspiration; these are three elements that every artist must experience first hand to find their own creative voice. In order to find that voice, it is important for students to embrace the creative world, outside of the classroom.

On Thursday, October 15th, students in grade 9 Visual Arts travelled to the Art Gallery of Hamilton. There they spent the morning on a guided tour, admiring the works in the permanent collection.

Among the many exhibits, one was of particular interest to the students ­– a multi-media installation exhibit that allowed the students to participate and become “part of” the work. These pieces brought video, light projection, mixed media sculpture and sound into one beautiful installment. This was the first time many of the students had experienced conceptual artwork before.

As the students made their way through the gallery, they had the opportunity to express their own creativity with drawing activities around every corner.

Following the morning gallery visit, students traveled to the Burgoyne Outdoor Education and Research Center (BOERC), for an afternoon of drawing and painting en plein air. “En plein air” is a French expression used that translates to “in open air” and is most often used to describe painting out in nature. Students created colour and texture studies of the beautiful fall foliage and watercolour studies of the landscape.

This field experience will prepare students for the culmination of our first unit of study, “Perspective in the Landscape.” Thanks to all for an engaging experience!

– Katie Marrone, Department of Visual and Performing Arts