An art installation featuring the creative works of students from University Highlands Elementary is part of the first exhibition at a new gallery on Burnaby Mountain.
Two Grade 4/5 classes spent eight weeks at the end of the last school year creating their art project Where Does the Rain Go? Supported by their teachers and three local artists and art educators, the children explored the path of rainwater from the peak of Burnaby Mountain to creeks and beyond - learning how it ultimately flows into the ocean.
During their investigations, the children used rain and creek water to make paintings. They also created audio art, including by recording the sounds of the creek.
Cara Taylor is one of two Grade 4/5 teachers at University Highlands who worked with the students.
It was so great for the kids to be involved and connected to our community. Working with a real artist was meaningful for our students. Being involved in the process allowed them to take ownership for their learning. Our class looks forward to visiting the gallery to see their artwork in the near future."
The children shared their learning with the school at a preview of their art exhibition last June, when it was temporarily installed in the school library at University Highlands.
Grade 4/5 teacher Christine Yee is one of the teachers involved with the project.
It was a meaningful and immersive experience where students could connect deeply with their learning - asking questions, making art, and discovering how water flows through their own backyard. They explored new artistic and scientific skills and engaged with the world around them in a truly hands-on way."
The exhibition is now open to the public at the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum on Simon Fraser University's campus. The students' work made history there, as it was one of the inaugural exhibitions at the gallery's launch in September.
Learn more here about the art project and artists Pietro Sammarco, Helena Krobath and Liz Toohey-Wiese, who worked with the students.
