“The Pull” by Katie Huras, a Grade 12 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute.

Celebrating the ‘strange and wonderful’

“The Pull” by Katie Huras, a Grade 12 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute.
“The Pull” by Katie Huras, a Grade 12 student at Waterloo Collegiate Institute.


Art from local students takes centre stage at K-W Art Gallery’s Expressions 38

Carrie Debrone
KITCHENER CITIZEN EDITOR

The 2013 Expressions exhibit’s theme of the ‘Strange and Wonderful’, is the inspiration for several hundred pieces of student artwork on display now at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 101 Queen St. N. in Kitchener.

The work, which spans the whimsical to the fantastic, includes drawings, paintings, sewn items and sculptures done by local students in grades one to 12. Several hundred student artists and their parents attended the opening reception at the gallery March 24. The theme, inspired by the artwork of two students at St. Aloysius Catholic Elementary School titled “The Purple People Eaters,” challenged the student artists to find the extraordinary in the unexpected, to understand how a change in perspective can alter what we see, and invited them to imagine these transformations.

The exhibit also celebrates the contributions of teachers in the Region of Waterloo who foster imagination and cultivate creativity and featured several selections from the gallery’s permanent collection that represent this year’s theme. Run in conjunction with the annual show, the In/Sight program provided an opportunity for some of the students to work directly with professional local artists. Soheila K. Esfahani helped Grade 12 students from St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School design and assemble cultural mash-ups, while Grade 7 and 8 students from Sunnyside Senior Public School teamed up with artist educator Karoline Varin-Jarkowski to transform old books into new creations. Their work is part of the Expressions 38 show.

Expressions 38 runs until April 28.

“Jurassic Park T-Rex Model” by Hossam Ehab, a Grade 7 student at Scholar’s Hall. • All photos courtesy Carrie Debrone
“Jurassic Park T-Rex Model” by Hossam Ehab, a Grade 7 student at Scholar’s Hall. • All photos COURTESY carrie debrone

Wintson
“Winston” by Alexandra Murray, a Grade 12 student at Preston High School.

Pop Art Tiger
“Pop Art Tiger” by Cara Lobrutto, a Grade 10 student at Sir John. A MacDonald