Artists for Kids' Gallery Program brings contemporary Canadian Art to a class full of eager young people which introduces the students to the art and culture of our country. Our Gallery Program offers students a deep, engaged dive into responding to and making art. Classes spend half of the day in the gallery and half the day in the studio making work that responds to the exhibition they have studied in the gallery. All sessions are co-taught by the classroom teacher and an art expert teacher provided by Artists for Kids.
Fall Grade 5 Gallery Program 2025-2026 (FULL)
We are excited to welcome grade 5 classes (and classes split with grade 5) to the Gordon Smith Gallery for the fall exhibition From the Ground. Teachers
can sign up for a full-day gallery visit where Artists for Kids art
educators will lead classes in an interactive tour of the exhibition and
a hands-on artmaking activity. Classes can visit from 9:30am - 2:30pm
on select dates from October 2025 to February 2026.
The program fee for North Vancouver School District classes is covered by NVSD.
Registration for North Vancouver School District classes opens September 9, 2025 at 12:00 pm (noon)
The 2025-2026 Fall Gallery Program in FULL. Please email Artists for Kids to be added to the waitlist.
Anna Binta Diallo, A forecast of pastures, bluffs and bones, 2023.
Photo by LF Documentation, courtesy of Robert McLaughlin Gallery
From the Ground explores the interconnectedness of the natural world and our reciprocal relationship with the ecosystems in which we are embedded. It emphasizes the importance of learning from the more-than-human to better understand our shared responsibilities in the context of the climate crisis. Throughout the exhibition, drawings, sculptures, prints, and photographs represent the natural world through stories, materials, time, and natural processes. From the Ground features contemporary artists Amelia Butcher, Lauren Brevner, Xinwei Che, James Nexw’Kalus-Xwalacktun Harry, and Genevieve Robertson, alongside works from the Artists for Kids’ Permanent Collection.
From the First Peoples Principles of Learning, we understand that experiential and relational learning is “focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships and a sense of place.” From the Ground centers on this learning principle, inviting us to ask questions, share experiences and reflect on our relationship with the natural world.
While visiting this exhibition, we invite you to consider:
How might we listen to the wisdom of the lands and waters?
What happens to our relationship with the natural world when we think expansively about time?
How might we take notice of the beings that are large and small, visible and not?
How might we support the well-being of our lands, waters, and communities through learning, action, and art?
Out of District Schools
Registration for out-of-district schools opens September 23, 2025 12:00 pm (noon)
TOUR + WORKSHOP (4 hours of instructional time plus 1 hour break time)
The fee for out-of-district schools: $500
Please email Artists for Kids to inquire about availability.
Self-Guided Tours of From the Ground
Artists
for Kids invites K-12 teachers to use the Gordon Smith Gallery as their
classroom, by booking a time to bring a class for a half day
self-guided tour at our fall exhibition, From the Ground.
This
is a unique opportunity for your students to engage directly with
diverse works by Canadian artists and to learn through the lens of the
arts.
Teachers
can book self-guided tour slots (morning or afternoon) that
are available on dates in October - February.
Class visits can be booked online here or by calling 604-903-3798.
We encourage teachers to attend an orientation of From the Ground prior to visiting with your class.
Self-Guided Instructions and Gallery Expectations
Spring Gallery Program 2025-2026
We are excited to welcome K-12 classes to the Gordon Smith Gallery for the spring exhibition.
Teachers can sign up for a half-day gallery visit. Artists for Kids art
educators will lead classes in an interactive tour of the exhibition
and a hands-on artmaking activity. Classes can visit from 9:30am-11:45am
or 12:30pm-2:30pm on select dates from April too June.
Registration for North Vancouver School District schools will open March 4, 2026. The program fee for North Vancouver School District classes is covered by NVSD.
Please check back for more information about the spring exhibition.
