Children’s Art Exhibit Opens At City Hall

March 27, 2012

 The I Am Creative art exhibition — the culmination of a two-year project with public school students and teachers working together with art educators from the Bermuda National Gallery, Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation, Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art and the Bermuda Education Network — will be on display until April 11th, 2012 at the City Hall Arts Center.

The Bermuda Education Network exhibition opened to the public on Friday, March 23rd, with presentations by noted art educators including Dame Jennifer Smith, Minister of Education as well as performances by P4 students from Gilbert Institute.

The exhibition features works completed by 38 primary 4 and primary 5 students from Gilbert Institute who have participated in a unique public school outreach program called Art & Me.

Started in 2010 with a grant from the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, the Art & Me program introduces art appreciation and art history to young children. By connecting art coaches and classroom teachers the educators are able to develop exciting, but practical, art lessons that encourage art appreciation, critique, critical thinking and exploration of works of art.

The Art & Me curriculum skillfully combines local exhibitions at Masterworks and the Bermuda National Gallery with Artful Thinking teaching methodologies. Developed by Harvard’s Project Zero, Artful Thinking is a system that utilizes works of art and teaching strategies to enhance creative and critical learning.

“The aim of this program is to model and teach strategies for educators to use art in meaningful and comprehensive ways that will increase student learning and enhance classroom teaching,” states Karolyn Lack, Director of Experiential Learning at BEN.

“Over the last two years, students have studied the works of several Bermuda and international artists and have gained an appreciation and familiarity with the Surrealist movement, which you will see reflected in some of the works exhibited by the children.”

Becky Ausenda, Executive Director of BEN explained: “When we first envisioned this collaboration our mission was two-fold; we wanted to create a program that would not only support the Cambridge Curriculum, but also draw on new art teaching methodologies to help students build their skills in language, drawing, problem-solving and even their social and emotional literacy. And we wanted this collaboration to create a long-lasting connection and partnership between the public schools and Bermuda’s art organizations.”

Mrs. Ausenda added, “I am excited by not only the beautiful artwork that has come out of this program, but also by the depth of thought that appears to have taken place, with these students, in the development of their pieces. Tangible proof that this program is worthwhile.”

The exhibit will be on display from March 23rd, to April 11th, 2012 in The Edinburgh Gallery at the City Hall Arts Center. Gallery hours are from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday – Friday and from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturdays. Entrance is free of charge.

The Bermuda Education Network is a registered charity that provides support to students in the public school system by helping them access summer programs, experiential learning opportunities and expeditions, which provide them with global perspectives and 21st century skills.

For more information on the I Am Creative exhibition, BEN or the Art & Me program, please call Tracy Astwood at 505-7935 or tracy.astwood@ben.bm.

Read More About

Category: All, Entertainment

.