It is hard to believe a week has passed since we held our student art exhibition. It is even harder to believe we are one week away from the end of our 2011-12 school year. At Woodland Artists our program is rooted in a belief that kids need to have a school year program to develop their skills, and most important, self-confidence. There are many schools where you can take short-term workshops. These are great to develop or enhance one’s technique in a very particular area. We will be offering an enhanced selection of workshops starting September 2012. However, the success of the student art exhibition has convinced us even more that a school year program is a must for a great majority of our students. If you have an opinion on this, please comment on this blog.

I had high expectations for the our student art exhibition and I think these were surpassed. I liked the venue, Varley Art Gallery in Markham (I really wish we had this type of venue in Richmond Hill). Having our students exhibit their work in a real art gallery made an impression on everyone. Varley Art Gallery is a terrific place and they went out of their way to help us organize a great exhibition. We took over all the available space outside of the main exhibit hall including the lobby. I think friends and family who came to see the exhibition were impressed. We also had quite a few walk-ins from the street. Gallery tour was different from what we have done at “Up close and Personal with Art: School trip to see Chagall at the AGO” and McMichael and provided a different gallery experience for the kids.

I knew that we would have a great number and good quality of work to exhibit but when all of it was framed and hanging on the walls I was really taken aback by the scale and quality of the exhibit. We limited the number of works exhibited per student to just three and yet I think most people were unprepared for over 150 pieces of art that we had on display. When I say “pieces of art” I mean it. All too often, we expect to see kids doodling. What we saw on display though, were mature works demonstrating significant skill and technique and self-expression. I was beaming with pride and I know that the kids and the parents were as well. We value, above all else, instilling self-confidence in our students and you could see it in all of our students at the exhibition.

I’d like to express my gratitude to our teachers (Eleyna, Francesca, Katherine and Simon). Without their help and dedication we could not have pulled this off. My friend Tatyana and my family who spend countless hours help us prepare the exhibition. Our students worked so hard all year-long and they deserve a praise for their efforts and admiration for their achievements. Most of all, I’d like to thank the parents who put time and effort bringing their kids to classes. And a special thanks go to all the fathers who shared their father’s day to celebrate their kids achievements.

We would greatly appreciate it if you let us know your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment on this blog. We value all comments, positive and suggestions for improvement.