04.05.2014 | 15.06.2014
37TH ANNUAL ART’S ALIVE AND WELL IN THE SCHOOLS
May 4 to June 15, 2014
Opening reception: May 4, 2014 at 1 PM
It's back! Art's Alive and Well in the Schools is here again with over 400 inspiring pieces by K-12 artists. These collections of 2D and 3D works are submitted each year by schools in the Lethbridge 51 and Holy Spirit school districts for a brilliant showcase of our community's budding artists. This colourful exhibition recognizes not only the talent of our youth, but also the dedication of teachers, aids, parents, and administrators who nurture and facilitate creativity, problem solving and expression in our schools.
At the heart of this program is a desire to emphasize the role that art creation and education plays in developing a new generation that is confident, creative and resilient. The formal recognition provided by this exhibition allows young artists to take pride in their work and helps shape the way they view their potential as creative and valued members of our community.
This wonderful program would not be possible without the effort of each school's art representatives, the hard-working SAAG staff, and Phyllis Furukawa at Lethbridge School District 51. It brings us great pride to host this fantastic perennial exhibition, and it is wonderful to work so closely with students, teachers and administrators to bring this show together.
This year's feature muralist is Isadora Rodrigues representing Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. Isadora is a well known SAAG volunteer and a fantastic artist whose Art's Alive submission last year was chosen as the brochure image for the exhibition. She is definitely an artist to follow and we look forward to watching her progress as a creative asset within our community.
Another feature component of this year's exhibition is a collaborative piece by the students and staff of Saint Patrick's Fine Arts Elementary. This fantastic collaboration, entitled The Forest of One Thousand Wonders, was inspired by American artist Dale Chihuli's Macchia and is composed of 1,000 separate pieces. The Forest of One Thousand Wonders is a true testament to the power of many and the vision of a motivated school community. Not only does this work showcase hundreds of young artists, it is also a distinctly creative use of unconventional materials.
SAAG is very excited to share these unique works through programs like Gallery School. Each year our Educators tour thousands of students, teachers and parents throughout this six week exhibition and experience first hand the creativity of students during the tour's hands-on art activity. These tours allow the displaying artists to share their proud moment with their peers and emphasize the opportunities available for hard-working artists at any age.
If you are an educator and are interested in bringing your class for Gallery School during Art's Alive and Well in the Schools please contact Paige Rosner, Gallery Educator at 403-327-8770 x 29 or via email at education@saag.ca. Book early, as tour spots fill up quickly.