“A drawing is taking a line for a walk,” said Swiss painter Paul Klee.
Vernon school district art teacher Simon Challen says he was personally inspired by those words when assigning his students the theme for their latest project.
Challen and his fellow district art teachers asked their students, from Grade 8 to 12, to create a piece which employs the element of line.
The results are about to be seen at Gallery Vertigo for the annual School District 22 exhibition, opening this week.
“It was then up to the students to conjure up materials, mediums, methods and subject matter to express the theme,” said Challen. “One of the challenges in teaching high school art is getting high school students to recognize that fine art rarely just happens. It comes from adherence to fairly stringent elements and principles of design. Line is the most accessible of these.”
The themed shows, which take place annually at Vertigo, take on a life of their own and give the students and their teachers a chance to see what the other has been doing with their respective art.
“It’s always exciting to bring the groups together and share what each has been up to,” said Challen. “The Vertigo show is special for students. It tends to be very involving. Students can assist with setup and hanging the show. They are required to provide artist statements, and their friends often play music for the opening.”
The annual school district art exhibition opens this Saturday at Gallery Vertigo. The launch includes the opening of Kara Barkved’s new series of abstracts of line, form and colour in Vertigo’s Members Gallery.
An opening reception for the artists and the community will take place Thursday, Jan. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Also new this month, Ryan Robson is the artist of the month at the Kalamalka Vertigo, outside the main lecture theatre at Okanagan College.
Gallery Vertigo is a non-profit studio gallery located at 3001-31st St. above Krause Jewellers. It is open from noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Visit www.galleryvertigo.net for more info.
