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Students put own touch on exhibition

High school students with a creative knack have taken the lead on showcasing young talent in their first public exhibition.
Alberta High School of Fine Arts students, from left, Antalya Speed, Kathryn Wall and Erin May show off some of their artwork that will be displayed at the Sheep River
Alberta High School of Fine Arts students, from left, Antalya Speed, Kathryn Wall and Erin May show off some of their artwork that will be displayed at the Sheep River Library art gallery in Turner Valley over the next several weeks.

High school students with a creative knack have taken the lead on showcasing young talent in their first public exhibition.

Alberta High School of Fine Arts professional studio arts students rounded up about 25 drawings, paintings and sculptures from their peers over the last two weeks and will have them on display at Turner Valley’s Sheep River Library until the end of the year in an exhibit they call Wild.

This is the first public art exhibit hosted by the school’s advanced arts class.

“We are learning and experiencing a whole lot of new things,” said student Kathryn Wall. “We’ve taken on a lot of responsibilities.”

Among the students’ tasks was advertising the exhibit using a slide show to get young artists to submit work, selecting pieces to go in the show, framing some pieces and arranging the work in the gallery room.

“I’ve learned how to work with other creative minds in more of a precise setting,” said Wall. “It involves a lot of planning. You have to be organized.”

Wall admits it wasn’t always easy taking on the role of curator.

“I’m the sort of person who will take control if need be, but not unless I have to,” she said. “It helps to share the responsibility.”

Wall, who submitted a whimsical pen and ink watercolour of a girl inside a light bulb for the exhibit, describes Wild as light-hearted and free-spirited.

“You don’t want a darker theme in a space where younger kids are going to be,” she said, adding they had to consider their target market before selecting a theme. “It had to be something that would complement the space nicely. We had to see what really works well together and what we would like to portray in the library.”

Wall’s art has been featured in other shows, but this venue and experience is new and possibly the start of a career in the creative arts, she said.

“I definitely want to do this for a career to make money,” she said. “I’ve loved art for a long time and strived to work and be better at it.”

Fellow professional studio arts student Erin May described the process of curating the show both chaotic and time-consuming, but found the experience valuable.

“It’s really good to have on your artist resume when you apply for other shows,” she said.

May said more time could have been used to put the exhibit together and the next time she finds herself curating an art exhibit she will get the word out quicker and set the deadline further back.

To help fill this show, May created an additional piece of her own with just days to spare.

Despite the last-minute rush, May said she’s impressed with the submissions made by her peers for the exhibition.

“There is a lot of different styles and media,” she said. “It’s not just paintings on canvas.”

May is also excited about having her art displayed to the public for the first time.

“It’s good to get your work out there,” she said. “It makes your art more known in the community. This is the first time I displayed something of mine, except on my mom’s fridge. I hide a lot of stuff in my room.”

Professional studio arts teacher Ryan Smitham said this year marks the second his students showcased their work at the Sheep River Library, but unlike last year he put his students in charge of creating the exhibit.

“Last year the students exclusively showed their work,” he said.

“This year I suggested they open it up to the whole student body and get more variety to give the students a chance to curate a show. Having the students involved in putting together an exhibit is a life skill for them. I wanted them to take ownership of our school being presented to the community rather than me delegate who or what work should be shown.”

Smitham said much of the time his students spent on putting the show together was outside of class and he hopes they find the experience rewarding.

“They get to experience having their work seen outside of school,” he said. “We are very thankful to have a space available to us.”

Wild is available for viewing at no cost at the Sheep River Library in Turner Valley Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays to Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

An opening reception with the opportunity to meet the artists will take place Nov. 21 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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