A community of art

BY PAT MARTIN

Students at Northeast Kings Education Centre put their artistic creations on display March 4 in the Community Gallery at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts in Canning.

John Colton Ph.D., School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology professor at Acadia University, and Chris O’Neill of Ross Creek, pooled resources to display an Acadia-developed project that allowed NKEC students to reflect on their communities in creative ways.

The project originated as a Recreation Management term project from a team of fourth-year Acadia University students. Colton and his students provided leadership to 60 enthusiastic Grades 7, 9, and 11 NKEC students, helping them develop and express their views regarding their home, school and communities using various mediums and subjects. Displaying their artwork was a key motivation.

The Acadia program also offered an evening of student learning on community engagement March 5 at Festival Theatre in Wolfville, with slides, stories and displays. Three community projects were also connected with local youth: Our Traditions Matter! Living, Learning and Helping Arawak Villages in Northwest Guyana to Document their Traditional Lifestyles; Engaging Rural Youth in Kings County: Art and Community Development; and Alternative Transportation Futures in the Kentville-Wolfville Corridor.

Do they feel connected? “The purpose of the community reflections project with the NKEC students was to explore youths’ relationship to their home and school communities,” explained Colton. “We wanted to find out if youth feel connected to their community and to what extent? What types of things do they like or dislike about their communities? What they might change about their communities? To what extent are they willing to be part of this change?”

NKEC principal Everett MacPherson and vice-principal Kevin Veinot allowed tremendous access to staff and students. Teachers Brenda Yaworski, Jeff MacLeod and Jill Fredericks gave significant time for students to produce exceptional art projects.

on the morning of March 4, Ross Creek opened its doors to help NKEC students showcase their kaleidoscope of creativity.

Icy roads did nothing to deter the approximately 75 people who attended. The colourful display was scrutinized and praised. The general consensus: the students put forth outstanding efforts.

Grade 7 students, led by Acadia’s Sarah Wagner, Candace Sharp and Brad Whelan, created innovative collages around “connecting the voices of rural youth.”

Grade 9 students considered “What my community means to me?”, led by Acadia’s Rachel Borer, Tom Flaxman and Sam Mencher. They created individual cloth canvas images and developed their paintings into a patchwork quilt, depicting everything from pumpkin people to sports, from youth organizations to community areas.

Grade 11 students were led by Alicia Romkey, Khalid Ismall and Nicole Phipps and they used various methods - including photos, poems and drawings - to reflect on different characteristics of the community.

NKEC guidance councillor Bev Roy, very impressed with the students’ accomplishments, said she would like to see the artwork displayed at NKEC when it comes down at the end of March so it might inspire others.

The “Community Reflections” art exhibit will be on display in the Community Gallery at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts until March 30.