Behind the scenes, volunteers have painstakingly arranged 1,200 pieces of unique artwork on display boards to be hung on multiple gallery walls in the Collingwood Library.
The colours are vibrant, the mediums varied enough to include Cheerios. This is the largest children’s art exhibition in Canada, and it features the work of elementary students in Collingwood and Clearview Township.
Senior Kindergarten student from Cameron Street Public School, Lilli Hobbs was one of the first students in the library to see her work on display.
“I found it!” she called to her mom as she ran over to an off white piece of paper coloured with four green trees, a blue sky and a four-legged creature with brown legs, a green rear end, black hair and a wide smile.
“I drew a wolf,” said Hobbs. “I like wolves.”
Her artist statement says, simply, “My wolf has enjoyed being outside living in the wild.”
“It’s a fabulous thing for them to do,” said Hobbs mom Crystal. “It’s really nice for them to display their art. I’m proud of them.”
On Monday, for the twenty-fourth year in a row, the Magic of Children in the Arts exhibition opens to the public.
Lory MacDonald is the founder of the Magic of Children in the Arts program, which includes kids’ workshops, in-school sessions and many other kids’ art related programming outside of the annual exhibition.
She’s been an artist her whole life and loves children’s art in particular.
“The expression of it, the innocence, the magic … Kids are the root of what art and creativity is all about,” said MacDonald. This love for kids’ art and her work with kids in an art program she created led her to establish Magic of Children in the Arts.
“I would look at the children’s art and think, ‘some of this is amazing and nobody ever gets to see it,’” said MacDonald. “This [show] gets kids involved in bigger arena than their refrigerator. It encourages kids to create, to express their art and to exhibit … to celebrate the arts.”
Each student is encouraged to write an “artist statement” with their piece to express their story behind the work. Additionally, every student is presented with an award that is unique to that student’s submission. Ten artists pour over all 1,200 pieces and find something that stands out about the piece to mark down on the award. Those achievements and a goodie pack of art supplies are presented to every student at a public reception on April 7 between 1 and 4 p.m.
The children’s art exhibit is on display at the library and at the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts (BMFA) art centre from March 6 to April 28.
There will be a public reception for Jr. Kindergarten to Grade 6 students at the Library April 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. and at the BMFA Art Centre for Grade 7 and 8 students at the same time.
