FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2011, St. John's, NL – Thirty-seven schools across Newfoundland and Labrador will take part in ArtsSmarts projects during the 2011-2012 school year. The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council recently awarded $150,000 in grants for ArtsSmarts projects.
Schools apply to ArtsSmarts for funding to bring professional artists into the classroom to help teachers and students integrate arts activities into non-arts subject areas. For example, this year students at Exploits Valley Intermediate in Grand Falls-Windsor will work with visual artist Michael Pittman to create a collaborative wooden mosaic based on the theme of the interconnectivity of a river ecosystem as part of their science program. Students at École des Grands-Vents in St. John's will work with puppeteer Catherine Chafe to create and perform an original shadow- puppet play based on historical events of the Newfoundland francophone community as part of social studies and language arts. And students at Holy Family Elementary in Chapel Arm will explore the importance of building and recognizing good character traits in promoting a kind and caring community. Some of the activities, led by visual artist Kelly McEntegart-Sheppard, will include designing and creating Peace T-shirts; creating a book of images exploring respect; and painting ceiling tiles reflecting concepts such as compassion, empathy, peace, and equality. This project will explore aspects of the math, social studies, language arts, religion, and health.
“It’s really interesting to see how some schools are using ArtsSmarts projects to help students explore broader concepts such as social responsibility,” says Reg Winsor, executive director of the NLAC. “For example, the newly built Paradise Elementary, which is an eco-friendly school, is doing a visual art project that will teach science concepts; it will also encourage students to think about their personal investment in society and the environment and their responsibility to others and the planet.”
ArtsSmarts is administered in this province by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC) and is funded through the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Cultural Connections Strategy - a unique partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. Cultural Connections seeks to increase the presence of cultural content in the school curriculum and foster links between the arts and school communities.
For a complete list of schools and projects, please click here
Media enquiries:
Janet McDonald
Communications Officer
Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council
Tel: (709) 726-2212
Toll Free: 1(866) 726-2212 (NL only)
jmcdonald@nlac.ca
The NLAC is a non-profit Crown agency created in 1980 by The Arts Council Act. Its mission is to foster and promote the creation and enjoyment of the arts for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The Council is governed by a volunteer board of 13 appointed by government, reflecting regional representation of the province. This includes 10 professional artists who provide sectoral representation of the arts community; one community representative (with an interest in the arts); one business representative (with an interest in the arts); and one representative of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation (non-voting). The NLAC receives an annual grant of $2.1 million from the Province to support a variety of granting programs, program delivery, office administration, and communications. It also seeks support from the public and private sector. It supports the following artistic disciplines: dance, film, multidiscipline, music, theatre, visual art, and writing.
ArtsSmarts Projects 2011-2012
37 projects
Total Awarded: $150,000
ST. JOHN’S, MOUNT PEARL AND ENVIRONS
Beachy Cove Elementary
Portugal Cove-St. Philip's
$5,500
September 30, 2011 to May 30, 2012
Making a Good Impression!
690 grade K-6 students and 31 teachers will work with printmaker Anita Singh to create prints using styrofoam, collographs, or monotypes to express curricular explorations and learning in language arts, science, and social studies.
Bishop Abraham School
St. John's
$4,800
October 3, 2011 to May 1, 2012
Communities Coming Together
256 grade K-6 students and 14 teachers will explore the concept of communities coming together through visual art and storytelling projects. Storyteller Mary Fearon will work with Kindergarten students to create stories of change and the good things that can come from it. Visual artist Fatima Hammond will work with grade 1 and 2 students to create individual watercolours exploring their local neighbourhood and the many things it has to offer. Visual artist Di Dabinett will work with grade 3 and 4 students to create silk paintings of places in their community that encourage social interaction. Fatima Hammond will also work with grade 5 and 6 students to create murals depicting the buildings and life of their neighbourhood. This project is designed to highlight the coming together of two school communities, and to enhance the students' knowledge and appreciation of their new community.
École des Grands-Vents
St. John's
$1,704
April 16 to May 11, 2012
The Art of Shadow Puppetry
30 grade 2 and 3 students and their teachers will work with puppeteer Catherine Chafe to create and perform an original shadow puppet play based on historical events of the Newfoundland francophone community. The play will meet curricular outcomes in social studies and language arts, and will be performed for the local French community.
Elizabeth Park Elementary
Paradise
$5,500
October 1, 2011 to May 1, 2012
New Beginnings
410 grade K-6 students and 33 teachers will work with various artists to celebrate the new school community and the opportunities it offers. Photographer Sheilagh O’Leary will work with Kindergarten and grade 1 students to create self portraits in photograms as part of their health and social studies classes. Visual artist Di Dabinett will work with grades 2 and 3 to explore plant life though silk painting as part of their math and science studies. Visual artist Pat Ryan will work with grades 4 to 6: grade 4s will paint natural habitats in oil and watercolours as part of science; grade 5s will create watercolour landscapes of communities as viewed when leaving them as they study resettlement in social studies; and grade 6s will create charcoal and pencil self-portraits as part of health studies.
Goulds Elementary
St. John's
$5,344
October 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012
Oral Traditions: The Art of Songwriting and Storytelling
180 grade 3 and 4 students and their nine teachers will explore oral traditions in language arts and social studies. Grade 3 will work with songwriter Ray Lake to create their own compositions about a traditional outport Christmas; the students’ songs will be recorded and made into a CD to share with the school and local community. Grade 4 will work with storyteller Dale Jarvis to research, prepare, and perform ghost stories from the Goulds area; they will present their stories to parents in an event at the end of the project.
Holy Cross Elementary
St. John's
$5,496
October 1, 2011 to May 1, 2012
Crusaders Remember Significant Events in the West End
160 students in grades K-6 and seven teachers will take part in a project that will explore traditions and historically significant events that have occurred in the West End of St. John's. Grades 5 and 6 will work with playwright and actor Chuck Herriott to write and perform a play as part of their language arts classes. As part of their social studies, grades 3 and 4 will research topics including Shanawdithit's burial site, the Newfoundland Railway, the history of Vimy Avenue, Thomas Rickett's memorial, and statues and memorials in Bowring Park. Kindergarten, grades 1 and 2 will draw, paint and create set pieces and props to be used in the play created by the older students. The project will be documented and developed into a DVD and digital booklet for students to keep.
Holy Family School
Paradise
$4,223
November 15, 2011 to May 31, 2012
A Conversation with the Past: Preserving our Heritage in Watercolor, Song Writing and Dance
This project will begin with local historian Dale Jarvis interviewing a senior citizen from the community. Based on this interview, artists Pat Ryan, Darryl Power, and Catherine Wright will work with the 93 grade 5 students to produce works in song, dance, and watercolor paintings that will explore and discuss the history of Paradise and how life in the community has changed. This project will explore the social studies curriculum.
Holy Trinity Elementary
Torbay
$5,336
September 15, 2011 to May 12, 2012
The Gully Revisited
350 students and 14 teachers will explore the Torbay wetlands and use their exploration of the local habitat to complete visual art activities that connect with the school curriculum in science, language arts, and math. Kindergarten students will work with Isabella St. John to paint local wildflowers in acrylic on wood. Margaret Best will work with grade 3s to create watercolour paintings of wildflowers. Marlene Creates will work with grade 6 students to create handmade books that explore the Torbay Gully in photography, drawings, and writing. All students will also create a mural of the gully wetland with visual artist Nancy Squires.
Larkhall Academy
St. John's
$5,500
October 30, 2011 to May 30, 2012
Beautiful Numbers!: Numbers Oddly Fascinating
Students in grades 1, 3 and 5 will explore numbers through a variety of artistic projects. The goal is to deepen students’ number-sense by putting numbers in a real-world context. In grade 1, one class will work with Sheilagh O’Leary to create photo books of numbers using the students’ own photographs of numbers taken in the school neighbourhood. Another grade 1 class will work with Anita Singh to create handmade counting books exploring images of food and insects. In grade 3, one class will work with dancer Sanchita Charkraboty to explore counting groups and multiplication, while another grade 3 class will work with Tara Bryan to create illustrated books exploring odd numbers under 100. In grade 5, one class will work with graphic artist Christo Stassis to explore digital photo collage with super-imposed images, and another will create songs about numbers with Ian Foster.
MacDonald Drive Junior High
St. John's
$5,064
September 15, 2011 to May 4, 2012
Human Mobiles, and Catch Me Once, Catch Me Twice Video Production
100 students in grades 7, 8, and 9 and their teachers will work with visual artist Annette Manning to construct large-scale mobiles that represent various systems of the human body (circulatory, muscular and skeletal) as part of their science studies. Also, 30 students in grade 8 will develop and produce a video based on scenes and settings from Janet McNaughton's novel Catch Me Once, Catch Me Twice as part of their language arts classes.
Mary Queen of the World School
Mount Pearl
$2,560
January 11 to June 21, 2012
A Celebration of Newfoundland and Labrador: A Cultural Experience
Musicians Jim Payne and Fergus O'Byrne will immerse 108 student in grades 4 and 5 and their seven teachers in activities that intertwine social studies, music, and language arts with storytelling, song writing, and traditional dance.
Morris Academy
Mount Pearl
$1,476
May 1 to June 15, 2012
Felted Butterfly Artwork
Under the guidance of artist Susan Furneaux, 52 grade 1 students and their teachers will make felt from dyed sheep's wool which they will use to make felt butterflies. Students will make one piece to take home, and work on another larger piece to be displayed in the classroom. The project will connect with the grade 1 science, language arts, and social studies programs.
Paradise Elementary
Paradise
$5,500
September 30, 2011 to May 1, 2012
Leaving a Mark...Not a Carbon Footprint
Paradise Elementary is a newly built, eco-friendly school. This project will allow students to make a mark artistically in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly way. 239 students in grades 3, 4, and 6 will be completing projects including murals, clay work, felted books, and fabric art with artists Stephy Stoker and Melanie Francis. Projects will explore science concepts including soil composition and healthy habitats, as well as, personal investment in society and our responsibility to others and the planet.
Roncalli Elementary
St. John's
$3,749
January 11 to June 24, 2012
Penguins, Rainforest and Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage
As part of their science studies, grade one students will work with visual artist Di Dabinett to create silk screen hangings of penguins in their natural habitat. Grade 2 students will also work with Di to create images of the rainforest. As part of their social studies classes, grade 3 students will work with visual artist Pat Ryan to create paper mache row houses using recycled milk containers. 200 students and eight teachers will participate in the project.
St. Andrew's Elementary School
St. John's
$3,040
January 10 to February 10, 2012
That's a Pile of Garbage!
Inspired by performances like Stomp, Blue Man Group, and Harry Partch, 30 grade five students and their teachers will go on a musical journey with local musician and actor Chris Driedzic. They will explore the physics of sound making, build musical instruments from found and recycled material, and learn about graphic scoring, musical structures, and composing. At the end of the project, students will perform their own work with the instruments they have made. This project is part of a larger cross-curricular initiative to explore critical literacy and alternate ways to communicate ideas and stories.
St. Bonaventure's College
St. John's
$5,066
September 19, 2011 to May 21, 2012
Looking In/Looking Out
This project will engage 160 students in grades K, 1, 4, 5 and 8 in visual arts and dance projects with a particular focus on creative movement, mixed media, and book arts with artists Catherine Wright and Anita Singh. Projects will enrich teaching of core curriculum in science, social studies, and language arts. Kindergarten students will create an underwater scene in their classroom that they will explore in movement and rhyming. Grade 1 will create print books of the province and its people. Grade 4 will create print books of animals and their habitats. Grade 5 will create print books of native cultures, traditions, and symbols in Newfoundland and Labrador, and grade 8 will create handmade books on what they think it means to be a Newfoundlander.
St. George's Elementary
Conception Bay South
$5500
October 1, 2011 to June 1, 2012
Together We Stand: Preserving Our Heritage
300 grade K-6 students and 14 teachers will explore cultural heritage through dance, painting, photography, and textiles art with artists Betty Tizzard, Martin Vallee, Catherine Wright, Sheilagh O'Leary and Pat Ryan. Kindergarten students will create a patchwork quilt of animal habitats in their science classes. Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 will also connect to the science curriculum as they create paintings of native plants and animals on silk, create pastel drawings of local habitats, paint watercolours of local landscapes, both built and natural, and paint watercolours of local seascapes. Grade 5 will explore traditional Newfoundland and Labrador and Irish dance as part of their social studies and physical education classes. Grade 6 will create a photographic alphabet book of their community to present to their reading buddies as part of their language arts program.
St. Mary's Elementary School
St. John's
$5,500
October 1, 2011 to June 1, 2012
Exploring Our Environments Through the Arts
170 grade K to 6 students and 14 teachers will work with artists Catherine Wright, Susan Furneaux, Paul Daly, and Margaret Best to explore the environment around and inside the school through a variety of art forms. Kindergarten students will explore storytelling through creative movement and visual art as part of their language arts program. Grades 1 and 2 will explore the environment of the province and Canada as presented in books for children. Students will create their own stories and illustrate them using drawing, painting, textiles and mixed media in a large book format. This activity will broaden the language arts and social studies programs. Grade 3 students will explore Newfoundland and Labrador geography through photography as part of their social studies classes. Grades 4, 5, and 6 will explore ecosystems and biodiversity through watercolour as part of their science and social studies program. All students in the school will also learn a traditional Newfoundland and Labrador set dance as part of their social studies and physical education programs.
St. Matthew's Elementary
St. John's
$2,686
November 15, 2011 to March 15, 2012
From Astray to Venison's Tickle: The Naming of Newfoundland and Labrador's Nooks and Crannies
This project will involve 32 grade 5 and 6 students and 2 teachers working with local theatre artist Chuck Herriott. Together they will incorporate aspects of the social studies and language arts curriculum into researching, writing, and performing a series of short theatre pieces that explain the origins of unusual place names in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Topsail Elementary School
Topsail
$5,452
September 15, 2011 to May 31, 2012
Patterns in Nature and Along the Manuels River
210 students in grades 3 and 4 will work with artists Susan Furneaux and Marlene Creates to create two very different projects that will achieve curriculum outcomes in language arts, science, and math. Grade 3 students will explore patterns in nature using wet felting to show patterns they see in the natural environment around the school. Grade 4 students will use photography, map drawing, original poems, and drawing to make handmade books that explore the natural environment along the Manuels River.
AVALON
Acreman Elementary
Green's Harbour
$4,355
October 3, 2011 to January 27, 2012
Exploring Our Culture…On Deck and Below
81 grade K-6 students and nine teachers will work with visual artist Kelly McEntegart-Sheppard to explore sea creatures of the North Atlantic and Newfoundland and Labrador culture in visual art as part of their social studies, math, and science classes. Kindergarten students will create 3D clay creations of sea creatures found in the North Atlantic that will be displayed in a fishing net. Grade 1 will make individual painted silk creations of sea creatures that will be sewn together to create an ocean mural. Grade 2 will create 3D clay sculptures of puffins that will be combined to make a counting book. Grades 3 and 4 will explore fabric painting to create symbols and icons that are unique to our province. Grade 5 will create silk paintings of outport communities, and will create an outport in clay. Grade 6 will make acrylic paintings based on imagery from traditional Newfoundland and Labrador songs, they will be used as illustrations for a songbook of traditional songs that will be created in the school.
St. Bernard's Elementary
Witless Bay
$5,448
October 1, 2011 to June 1, 2012
Truth is Stranger than Fiction: Bringing Newfoundland Folklore Alive Through Theatre
126 students in grades 3-6 and their 8 teachers will work with actor and director Chuck Herriott to explore local folklore, history, and oral traditions that will be used to create a play written by the students. Within this creative process, the students will also make costumes, backdrops, and props including handmade musical instruments that will be used in the production of the play. This project will link to the social studies and language arts curricula.
Dunne Memorial Academy
St. Mary's
$1,828
November 8 to 18, 2011
Sea Views
Local artist Oh Young Luther will work with 55 students in grades K-6 and 5 teachers to explore local landscape and lighthouses through pastel and dry clay creations. The project will link to science, social studies, and language arts.
Holy Family Elementary
Chapel Arm
$4,225
January 18 to May 20, 2012
Character Education: The Colors of Me
Visual artist Kelly McEntegart-Sheppard will work with 124 students and 7 teachers to explore the importance of building and recognizing good character traits in promoting a kind and caring community. Projects will explore aspects of the math, social studies, language arts, religion, and health. Kindergarten and grade 1 students will design and create Peace T-shirts that will incorporate their thoughts of why it is important to live in a peaceful society. Grade 2 will create painted silk pieces of animal icons that express their personal attributes. Grade 3 will create a personal totem pole in clay relief. Grade 4 will create a book using images created in modeling clay that will explore how we respect each other. Grade 5 will create painted ceiling tiles that will explore the students’ reflections on concepts such as compassion, empathy, peace, and equality. Each tile will include a quote from a great humanitarian researched by the students to support the images. Grade 6 will create an illustrated book of self-reflective poetry using multimedia visual art techniques and their own writing.
EASTERN
Anthony Padden Elementary
Musgravetown
$4,560
September 15 to December 15, 2011
Teaching Outside the Box
90 students in grades 2, 4 and 6, and 6 teachers will work with visual artist Rosalind Ford on three projects that will meet outcomes in language arts, science, and social studies. Grade 2 will make felted butterflies with paper mache cocoons. Grade 4 will use aerial views of rivers and estuaries to create naturally dyed fabric stencils with positive and negative spaces that mimic the natural geography as viewed from above. Grade 6 will create a city skyline in fabric using number arrays and fractions.
Bishop White School
Port Rexton
$2,121
January 4 to April 30, 2012
The Telling Bee: A Creative Journey
Storyteller Mary Fearon will work with 114 students in grades 1-12 and 10 teachers to explore the art of traditional storytelling. They will learn how plot, setting, characters, and presentation come together to create a good story. Students will choose a story and create a story map of it created in collage from photos, drawings, and pictures they collect. The collages will be displayed together to create a mural. Students will each tell part of the story based on their collage. Grades 5 and 6 will explore how traditional stories are structured and play games to help them explore their own stories. Each student will collect a story of his or her own and prepare it to tell to the whole class. Grades 7 to 9 and 10 to 12 will work in two groups to create a story map of a traditional Newfoundland story. Once the story is mapped, they will create shadow puppets to tell their story. The shadow puppet presentations will be recorded and edited by the students to create a video of the stories.
Catalina Elementary
Catalina
$3,936
September 15, 2011 to March 1, 2012
2,4,6,8 Arts What we Appreciate!
Students in grades 2, 4, 6, and 8 will work with visual artists Jason Holley and Rosalind Ford to explore topics in math, science, and language arts. Grade 2 will make felted butterflies and paper mache cocoons. Grade 4 will use aerial views of rivers and estuaries to create naturally dyed fabric stenciled with the positive and negative spaces they see in the landscape. Grade 6 will create a cityscape using number arrays. Grade 8 will create 3D sculptures by casting paper and geometric solids in plaster molds.
Matthew Elementary School
Bonavista
$5,500
November 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012
Art Rocks!
356 students in grades K-8 and 20 teachers will participate in a variety of visual art projects based on curriculum topics in language arts, social studies, technology education, math, science, and health. All projects will be led by visual artists Jason Holley and Rosalind Ford. The final products of each project will be displayed at the Ryan Premises National Historic Site for the summer of 2012. Kindergarten students will create and paint clay sculptures of sea creatures. Grade 1 will create fabric collages from geometric shapes. Grade 2 will explore patterns and texture by creating blown paint creations and rubbings of common objects. Grade 3 will make paper using recycled materials. Grade 4 will explore patterns in nature by painting aerial views of geographical features like rivers, estuaries and peninsulas. Grade 5 will agitate sheep wool to create felt and dye it into various colours. The dyed wool will be used to create a story board image of a significant event in local history. Grade 6 will create cityscapes in fabric collage. Grade 7 will design and create clay tiles based on the novel A Single Shard. Grade 8 will create a story mosaic in clay panels based on the novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
CENTRAL
Bay d'Espoir Academy
Milltown
$4,264
October 14 to November 24, 2011
Music Composition & Recording: Sculpting with Soapstone
60 students in grades 7 to 9 and three teachers will work with local artist Clyde Drew on two projects. Students will explore carving in bone and wood as part of their social studies unit on aboriginal peoples. They will also write and perform their own songs as part of their study of poetry in language arts.
Centerville Academy
Centerville
$1,363
October 3, 2011 to January 27, 2012
Hooking History
31 students in grades 7, 8, and 9 will research the local history of their community to select a scene of interest to render into a hooked rug under the guidance of artist Janet Davis. Students will document their research and creative process through photography that they will later present, along with the hooked rug, to their peers and the community.
Exploits Valley Intermediate
Grand Falls-Windsor
$2,769
January 16 to February 16, 2012
The Art of an Ecosystem: River Ecosystem as Mosaic
Under the guidance of visual artist Michael Pittman 175 grade 7 students will create a collaborative wooden mosaic based on the theme of the interconnectivity of a river ecosystem. The piece will be comprised of large, pre-cut wood tesserae on which students will explore a variety of methods of creating texture. The final product will be unveiled at a school event and permanently displayed in the school. This project will incorporate art into the science program.
Gander Academy
Gander
$5,500
October 3 to December 20, 2011
Gander Academy Dance Program
140 grade 5 students and 10 teachers will work with Shawn Silver to learn the basic elements of Irish dance as part of their physical education, language arts, and music classes.
Leading Tickles Primary
Leading Tickles
$1,372
October 10 to November 18, 2011
Plasticine Sculpture and Book Making
11 grade K-3 students will create stories based on an ocean thematic unit studied with their teacher. They will then work with visual artist Matthew Nobel who will teach them sculpture techniques in plasticine. Students will create plasticine sculptures as illustrations for their stories. Digital photographs of the illustrations will be arranged with the students’ texts to create a book. Students will bind their own books and share them with each other and the local community.
WESTERN
École Notre-Dame-du-Cap
Cape St. George
$2,984
March 10 to 30, 2012
Cultural Stories and Song
32 students in grades 4-6 and four teachers will participate in this project. Grade 6 students will work with videographer Michael Fenwick to create short scenes drawn from a novel students are studying. Students will explore aspects of video production and learn how scenes in a novel change when made into a video. Local storyteller and musician Mark Cormier will explore traditional French-Newfoundland stories and songs with grades 4-8 as part of social studies and language arts. Students will work with him to create their own stories and songs which will be recorded.
French Shore Academy
Port Saunders
$4,439
October 15, 2011 to May 30, 2012
Our Community, Our Culture
As part of their language arts, social studies, physical education, and music classes, 61 grade 7, 8, and 9 students will, under the guidance of their teachers, go into their communities to uncover stories, songs, dances and other forms of entertainment that existed in the past. Then, under the guidance of musician Daniel Payne, students and teachers will use their discoveries to create, analyze, and adapt songs, stories, and dances to create a community presentation that will also include local musicians, story tellers, and dancers.
LABRADOR
A.P. Low Primary
Labrador City
$5,252
May 7 to 11, 2012
Exploring Life Cycles Through Felting
With their teachers and visual artist Susan Furneaux, 200 students in grades 2 and 3 will explore the science and language arts curriculum through wet felting. Students will learn about the life cycles of plants and butterflies. Each student will design and create an individual felt piece representing the life cycle of plants or butterflies. A student art exhibition open to the school community will take place following the completion of the project.
École Boréale
Happy Valley-Goose Bay
$1,088
September 16 to November 15, 2011
Les Cycles de Vie et l'environnement
With their teachers and visual artist Mavis Penney, 16 students in grades K to 3 will explore the local environment and habitats. Students will take a guided nature walk with the artists to observe and identify plants and characteristics of the local environment. While on the walk they will do site drawings and following the walk they will also draw items from memory. Students will then render images on fabric squares in acrylic paint. The individual squares will be sewn together to create a fabric mural for display in the school and the community. This project will explore aspects of the science curriculum.
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