A few weeks ago, more than 150 kids booked themselves into free art classes at Bowen Island Community School (B.I.C.S.). They arrived in waves, art supplies in hand, for Canvas Inspiration Sessions: custom-crafted demonstrations by twenty-three working Bowen artists – all enthusiastic professionals who donated their time and talent to share their love of art to young artists ages five to eighteen. The purpose? To inspire Bowen youth to fill a canvas for the Community School Association’s (CSA’s) Art Show and Auction, 2014.
The sessions stretched over three days and the halls were quiet but for the clicking of shutters, the fast scratching of graphite on paper and the sounds of delighted discovery (“Wow! Cool!”) while kids and their parents worked in groups of eight to ten in several different workshops. They were fascinated by the expertise of artists conjuring beauty in subjects like studio photography, air-brushing, perspective drawing, sewing on canvas, Photoshop, and painting in multi-media.
Artist Shane Tweten of Stands Tall Creations was one of the first to volunteer for the project and donated three packed sessions on different drawing techniques.
“Art was a big influence in my life and to be able to share with the kids at BICS is truly something special,” says Tweeten. “I thought this project was unique as the parents became involved in the process as well. Art teaches us to think "outside the box" with creativity and exploration which is important for our youth today.”
Inspired by the Gallery@Artisan’s annual Mini Gala, and the CSA’s motto, Spirit of Community, our aim with this project was to create a fun, community project that gave families a chance to gather and create art. They also wanted kids to have the thrill of hanging their artworks in a professional show.
We asked our young participants to think about the theme, Life on Bowen, pick up a canvas for $2.50 and present their vision of living here. More than 250 beautiful canvases were returned to us in less than two weeks.
The canvases will be shown and sold via silent auction and online auction (www.faceboook.com/BowenIslandCSA) concurrently, starting on Tuesday, April 15. The Show & Auction ends with a Gala Night on April 26 from 7:00 -10:00. Tickets for this adults only evening are $10.00 at the Gallery and there are only one hundred.
Don’t miss your chance to see Bowen through the eyes of our youth.
The committee wishes to sing the praises of the artists, graphic artists and photographers that donated sessions and expertise.
Thank you to Saffron Gurney, Heather Stephens, Liz Watson, Shane Tweten, Gerald Morrisseau, Ann Beatty, Lorraine Ashdown, Bill Hoopes, Deb Stringfellow, Mike Lightbody, Georgina Farah, Andre Bussanich, Andrea Klann, Janet Esseiva, Susanah Montague, Rebecca Smith, Peter Baumgartner, Diana Izdebski, Emily van Lidthe de Jeude, Dayna Purdy, Marc Baur, Diana Izdebski, Tiffanee Scorer, Stuart Slind, Sarah Haxby and Vikki Fuller.
