Operated by the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society

May 12 - June 11, 2005

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Through the Looking Glass

The 18th Annual Exhibition of Children's Art
Created at North Mount Pleasant & Wildflower Arts Centres

Special Art Exhibition Program Celebrating the Centennial of Alberta

The Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts is proud to host Through The Looking Glass: 18th Annual Children's Art Exhibition, organized by the staff of the Wildflower and North Mount Pleasant Arts Centres and curated by Aubrey Hallis, Recreation Program Specialist - Visual Arts at the North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre. The exhibition will be held at the Triangle Gallery from May 12 to June 11, 2005.

This 18th Annual Exhibition showcases over 90 art works created by young artists (age 3 to 16) who were enrolled during the past year in the visual arts programmes conducted by professional Calgary-based artists at the North Mount Pleasant and Wildflower Arts Centres.

This presentation promotes and celebrates children's creativity and their talents, and is characteristic of the extraordinary work being created at these two City of Calgary Arts Centres.

A CELEBRATION OF CHILDREN'S ART

There are qualities inherent to children's creative work that most adult artists struggle to attain; a sense of openness, spontaneity, honesty and unencumbered expression. This exhibition is representative of those ideals and is characteristic of the extraordinary work being created at these two City of Calgary Arts Centres.

The Arts Centres, operated through the Calgary Recreation of The City of Calgary, employ artists within our community to teach a wide variety of programmes designed to stimulate, nurture, and develop children's creativity. The education programmes in visual arts encourage children to find visual forms for their thoughts and feelings. For children, art education provides visual tools to create meaning. Acquiring proficiency in art requires learning how to see, interpret and make sense of visual stimuli. Using a variety of materials and techniques, children gain knowledge in the practical use of traditional and contemporary tools, materials and media.

Art education is concerned with learning the values that surround the creation and appreciation of art forms. Art is not merely created, it is valued as a components of our culture. Values associated with children's art works not only tell us about those who create them, but also demonstrate how values have changed over time.

The History

This is the 18th year the Arts Centres have presented children's art exhibit. The show has been held at various locations: the Mayor's Office, Municipal Atrium, Gulf Gallery and Devonian Garden Gallery. In 1995, the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts has been selected as an official host for the children's art exhibit.

Why a Children's Art Exhibit?

An exhibition of this kind provides an excellent opportunity to create bond between the arts community and the community at large. In addition to that, this particular exhibit:

1. allows children to connect with, and feel a sense of belonging to their community;
2. serves to promote and celebrate children's creativity and their artistic achievements;
3. serves as a special art venue during the Calgary International Children's Festival;
4. helps to build audiences for the arts;
5. presents the Triangle Gallery and both Arts Centres as vital stimulants to various inter-community activities;
6. also helps to inject more colour, life, scent, spirit, humour and spontaneity into the May arts scene.

Jacek Malec
Director/Curator
Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts

Jurors' Statement

It is with pleasure that we accepted the invitation to return to the Arts Centres for the honour of selecting work for the 18th Annual Exhibition of Children's Art produced at Wildflower & North Mount Pleasant. In viewing the dazzling array of submissions for this year's show, we faced the same dilemma as in years past-that of having to limit the number of works. Many exuberant and whimsical pieces had to be excluded due to space limitations.

This exhibition reflects a diverse artistic exploration. Whether the works were created by preschoolers or teens, they have been selected for their spirit. Some are joyful, intuitive, energetic, and expressive. Others seem steeped in magic and mystery. A number of others directly address more formal artistic considerations - the use of line, form, texture, or colour. All seem to embrace and celebrate the process of art making; whether the artist is working with traditional art materials, found objects, or mixed media.

We are grateful to these young artists for sharing their artworks with us, and to their parents for providing them the opportunity to unlock their creative potential. We also acknowledge the creative interchange that occurs between the Arts Centre instructors and their students. It is evident that these young artists have internalised complex art concepts and skills, just as the instructors were surely motivated by their students. Artists of any age will find inspiration in these works.

Betty Beyer
Past Arts Centre Mentor, Instructor, & Relief Supervisor
Wildflower & North Mount Pleasant Arts Centres (1985-2001)

Joan Irvin Past
Supervisor
Wildflower Arts Centre (1989-1998)
North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre (1998-1999)

List of Images:

1. Chantelle Mud, age 10 - Irises, 2004; acrylic on paper.
2. Aidan Kuruliak, age 7 - Ricky, 2004; pencil, crayon on paper.
3. Dennai Drummond, age 12 - Wedding Catz, 2004; mixed media.
4. Ben Horovatin, age 5 - Monster Man, 2004; tempera, charcoal on paper.
5. Brandon Morrison, age 14 - A Family Moment, 2004; clay and mixed media.
6. Morgan Weatherbee, age 6 - Milo Weatherbee, 2004; oil pastel on paper.
7. Jada Perkins, age 3 - Blue Bell Kitty, 2004; paper mache and mixed media.
8. Harry Han, age 13 - Rainbow Party, 2004; tempera on paper.