North Vancouver School District
the natural place to learn©
Jan 24
Connection through Art

​By Amelia Epp, Visual Arts Teacher, Artists for Kids

Connecting with students and teachers across the school district and wider community is our goal at Artists for Kids (AFK). Over the last year, we have continued to reimagine our programs and resources, keeping connection at the forefront as we adapt to the ever-shifting circumstances of the pandemic.

AFK art workshop_Blueridge Elementary.jpg

For decades, our Grade 5 Gallery Program has brought contemporary Canadian art to students and has provided a deep, engaged dive into discussing and making art. Prior to the pandemic, Grade 5 classes visited the Gordon Smith Gallery for this unique and well-loved program. At a time when leaving classrooms is more difficult for teachers, we made it our goal to connect with Grade 5 students and teachers across the entire school district.

AFK art workshp_Braemar Elementary.jpg

In the fall of 2021, we launched a blended model for our Gallery Program. AFK art educators have been visiting all Grade 5 classes (including combined classes) in the school district, leading an in-person art workshop to create art inspired by the teaching exhibition, Beyond the Horizon. This workshop is followed by a tour of the exhibition at the Gordon Smith Gallery, either in-person or via Microsoft Teams.

AFK gallery tour_Ridgeway Elementary.jpg

Each encounter provides for rich cross-curricular connections, as we discuss the horizon as a concept in both science and art, as well as through a lens of social and emotional learning. In the art workshop, students create a layered artwork representing a local and imagined environment through the exploration of natural pigments and drawing tools such as sharpies and oil pastels.

Within the workshop, students are asked to consider what supports and mindsets they need in order to go "beyond the horizon." Certainly, at AFK, we continue to stretch our own ways of teaching, as we continue to think creatively and flexibly about how to foster connection through art during a pandemic.

AFK gallery tour_Queen Mary Elementary.jpg

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