Art that decorates the walls of the Meridian Community Centre will cause people to stop and think.
About 15 three dimensional pieces created by E.L. Crossley art students in Grades 9 through 12 were hung inside the community centre Monday (Jan. 13) afternoon, where they will be on display until February.
“We were talking about ‘Collective Consciousness’ — the title for the group of work,” explained art teacher Sherry Wilkinson.
“The students were asked to talk about their concerns for the future, environmental sustainability, and other issues and use their thoughts to create meaningful works of art.”
Some of the work features a three-dimensional planet with a smashed cellphone, a turtle carrying water bottles and caps on its back, a boat with a net carrying garbage and a poster board with political leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump.
When she first heard about a call for artists to have their work on display at the community centre, Wilkinson said she jumped at the chance to have her students’ work featured. The teacher aims to have her students display their work in public art shows and events a few times each semester.
“If you create artwork that’s just graded and stashed in a folder, what’s the point?” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson, who has been teaching visual arts for 18 years, said when an artist gets to exhibit his or her work, it helps them grow.
As artists, the students have the opportunity to learn their craft, make mistakes and figure out how to express themselves artistically.
Wilkinson said it’s these opportunities that continue to inspire young artists to expand their palettes.
“I think what the students took away from this particular project is that they realize they can make art out of anything,” she said.
