April 14, 2011

The 1st Annual North Halton Art Competition was held Saturday, April 2 and it proved to be a huge success.

Grades 4-8 visual arts students used acrylic paints, oil pastels, chalk pastels, pencil, coloured pencil, clay, wire and photography to create a gallery of impressive art work, which was on display at Stewarttown Public School for the community to see.

The art show, aimed to develop and showcase students’ skills and abilities, was separated into five categories: drawing, painting-colour, painting-black and white, sculpture, and other (which could be mosaics, murals, photography, linoleum, etc.). Judges scored work against work within a division. Teachers volunteered to be on a jury to critique the art. 

The following schools participated: Stewarttown (hosting), Pineview, Gardiner, Silver Creek, Centennial, W.I. Dick, Tiger Jeet Singh, P.L. Robertson, and McKenzie-Smith Bennett

Martin Kay, teacher at Stewarttown Public School, says the idea for an art show started as a way to raise the profile of visual arts. 

“I turned my art club into an art team, requested additional funding from our parent council and away we went,” Kay explains, adding a committee was formed in the fall to get the event organized.  

“Overall, the competition went well. I had lots of positive feedback from the community,” Kay notes, adding the goal is to host another art show next year. “I have noticed students in awe of the art from different schools. I have heard many students intend to frame their work permanently because they are just so proud of what they have accomplished.”

The art show was able to connect to the art curriculum. The components that were touched upon included creating two-dimensional, three-dimensional and multimedia art works that explore feelings, ideas and issues from a variety of points of view. Students also used a variety of materials, tools and techniques, to determine solutions to design challenges, as well as using elements of design in art works to communicate ideas and messages.