For the 2019-2020 school year, artists Rebecca Heyl and Susan Hall chose Wonder as the overarching theme in the studio.
Rebecca's 15-week residency with primary students focused on Stories of Wonder from the natural world.
Students were given time to closely observe a variety of scientific specimens that were on loan from UBC's Beaty Biodiversity Museum. They learned how to handle the specimens with care and then created detailed observational drawings of plants, animals, and even some fossils.
“This is the first fossil of a plant I ever saw and it is extraordinary!” Grade 3 student speaks about the fossilized fern specimen.
Our Wonderings- We wondered about how animals are able to take such long journeys and how do they know where to go? Do they have maps? And if so, how do they acquire this knowledge and where do they hold this information?
"I know where, they keep it in the hippocampus of their brain." Grade 2 student connects the studio questions back to the classroom study into brain science.
At the beginning of a session, we often revisit the discoveries by looking at photos and discussing what they notice and remember from the previous session.
Our initial question was, "What can you do with clay?"
"I think the students really relished in the time they got to just play with the clay, time that we normally can’t afford on a day to day basis because of the amount of curriculum that needs to be covered. They were sorry to see the AIRS sessions end!"
-Begbie primary teacher
The 2020 spring workshops were written and the studio was ready to begin classes after March break however the new situation demanded a different program.
Continuing with the overarching theme of “Wonder”, a new set of lessons was created to inspire art making in a home studio. As many great photographers encourage young artists to begin capturing images of family and stories in your own community, we considered this a positive opportunity.
Photo credits: All of the images following were taken by Begbie students in Divisions 1-6 using personal devices (mobile phones and tablets)
An inquiry was established based on the question, “Is there a connection between slow looking and gratitude?”
Five photography lessons connected by the theme “Sanctuary” led students to quiet their minds, look deeply at the environment around them and create connections through the search for elements of photo composition. “Wonder” was central to our visual searches for quiet, connection, small things, light, reflection, balance, peace and compassion.
Each week, students were sent an AIRS art lesson that included an inspiring reading, poem or performance to help establish the theme. A range of photographic images was added to encourage critique and an awakening of observational skills. Art making included both indoor and outdoor challenges making use of existing light and celebrating our most important light source, the sun. Following each session, participants were asked to write about their feelings of discovery through a gratitude statement. This work was gathered in an empty jar and saved for sharing. Images were then uploaded and sent in for review.
This month, grade 6 and 7 students have been asked to take on a community project and use their art to help promote feelings of hope to help lift others around them. Each participant will select a personal gratitude statement using criteria of most encouraging when shared with others in need. Searching through their library of images, they will select a visual match to help add clarity to their message. Adding text to the photo in preparation for print will be the final step in completing this social justice action. Blending their own images and voice will provide an experience of how artists can “use photography for good”.