A new art show in Collingwood is drawing inspiration from the monsters hiding in closets and under beds inside kids’ imagination.
The Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts (BMFA) is getting ready for the first-ever Community Monster Project art show, which will include several mediums of one subject: monsters.
Specifically, monsters imagined and drawn by kids enrolled in the Magic of Children in the Arts program. There were 21 children who created images of monsters in all shapes, sizes, and colours.
Those images were copied and gathered by the BMFA, and handed out to community artists with a canvas and a challenge to give the monster life.
Susan Cook, manager of BMFA, brought the monster project to Collingwood after seeing a similar concept in the United States, but with a book of art. She wanted to turn it into a local art show.
“It’s as much for the adult artists as it is for the kids,” said Cook. “We asked them to be true to the child … and be true to themselves.”
Suzette Terry is one of the artists included in the Monster Project. She was given a child’s drawing she said reminded her of a “strong bat.”
She riffed on the strength and portrayed the monster lifting weights and grinning goofily while three other bats (his entourage) watched in the background.
“We were encouraged to imagine a context or environment in which this monster lives,” said Terry. “This was about honouring the young artist, not about showing them up … we want to teach them how much further it can go and expand their horizon. This is supposed to be about learning and some of the adults are learning too.”
Another painting – a watercolour – portrays a three-eyed monster at the beach with his family. The smallest monster is building a sandcastle.
Once the show begins and the paintings are hung in the Press Room gallery at the Simcoe Street Theatre building, a copy of the child’s image will hang with each canvas.
The artists were also told to write a statement about how the child’s art inspired them.
“We want the kids to feel positive about it,” said Cook.
“The big thing is going to be seeing the kids' reaction,” said Terry.
The other benefit Cook and Terry hope to accomplish is reaching a wider audience with the message of art.
“People’s vision of art is sometimes a little narrow,” said Terry. “This is going to expand it, we hope.”
So far, Cook said she’s had a good reaction from artists and she’s excited to see the response from kids and the public to the show.
“It engages the community and it inspires kids,” said Cook. “We’re making art accessible.”
The art goes up in the Press Room Gallery on March 4 and there will be a reception on March 7 at 3 p.m. with the artists (both adult and child) and a monster cake.
