A new chapter in art education making its way to local schools has proven popular.
The Vernon Public Art Gallery recently launched the new Regional Reach program, a travelling art education kit, delivered to teachers and students in the Vernon School District and the surrounding communities. The program has been widely accepted and is almost entirely booked for the year, with plans to create a second kit underway.
The kit was created to deliver art education to all, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some schools nearby can participate in school tours and workshops at the gallery, high bus costs and other barriers affect outlying schools in the North Okanagan, creating lack of access to the VPAG’s art education programs.
“Art naturally invites deep and extended thought. This year’s Regional Reach kit focuses on five Indigenous artists whose work explores identity and culture and asks us to consider Indigenous peoples’ rights and world views,” learning and community engagement curator Kelsie Belehowsky said. “The artists and artworks in this guide have been chosen to inspire creative inquiry and critical thinking about the effects of colonialism through engagement with art.”
Teachers have the flexibility to tailor the lessons to their class/age group needs. The kit includes all the materials for select printmaking art activities and are cross curricular in art education, social studies, language arts, and science. For more information or to request a booking date for Regional Reach go to www.vernonpublicartgallery.com/regional-reach.
The VPAG is committed to connecting the community to the creative possibilities within the visual arts.
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The Vernon Public Art Gallery’s new Regional Reach program which sends supplies and lessons to classes, has been a hit in the North Okanagan classrooms. (VPAG photo)
