Grow with Art relocates to Kentville

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Never underestimate what a small band of volunteers can accomplish. The Grow With Art program that began in Wolfville in 2002 has found a new home in Kentville.

Now toddlers at the Kingstec Campus Learning Centre daycare are beginning to recognize Van Gogh paintings. The hallways at the busy community college have been transformed by art, and instructor Peggy Duncan says children at the daycare can now distinguish fine art from knockoffs.

Volunteers like Gwynneth Wallace, who started the program, are thrilled with the new location, the opportunity to grow the program and access to a new community.

“This is a perfect fit. It’s a win/win situation all the way around,” says Wallace with a smile.

Kingstec principal Don Bureaux and staff welcomed the volunteers in December. “He was excited about the community connection and didn’t even view holes in the wall as a problem,” noted Wallace.

Since then the main yellow hallways have been adorned with many of the over 250 framed reproductions in the collection. Many are adjacent to the Sobey culinary centre.

Duncan said it was easy to allocate some cupboard space to Grow With Art. “It was rejuvenating,” she added. “All our students are excited.”

Developing creativity in early childhood educators will be easier with the art collection on hand, Duncan added. Another spinoff has been the initiative of Andrea Cann, who is using her art training to offer drawing lessons to fellow students.

Preschoolers react

Wallace has been entertained watching the preschoolers react to the art on the walls, which is grouped by artist and subject area. “One little girl; she looked and looked and looked.”

Duncan isn’t surprised the three-year-olds can pick out additional works by the same artist. “They pick up a lot. They’re very acute to the environment.”

While Jan Grebneff was labeling the prints, one of the Kingstec custodians offered to donate to the program and a student decided to borrow prints on behalf of her sister’s children.

The program has attracted many supporters. Retired teacher June Jain tells a delightful story about a little girl, who told her solemnly, “I’m just returning my Matisse. Many of the children have favourite artists now.”

She recounts a fire drill at Somerset school where one child worried out loud that the rented Alex Colville print inside the school might be in danger.

“Lucy Maud Montgomery said when you hang a picture on the wall, it becomes your friend,” Jain said. “One of our moms told us she’s going to bring her kids to see all their old friends.”

The official opening of the relocated program is Saturday, April 5. It will be open Tuesday from 3–5 p.m. and Saturdays from 3–5 p.m. when parking is most available at Kingstec.

Local art teacher Donna Livingstone will conduct a family art day April 12 entitled “The Colours of Spring”. It will run from 10 a.m. until noon. Call 542-2327 for further information.