Guest artist Flora Shum (OCADU, Paperhouse) visited the adult printmaking class last week to demonstrate toner washes and acrylic washes. These unpredictable printmaking techniques add interest and tone to etched works as a non-toxic alternative to aquatint processes.
We got into the relaxed mood of the holiday a bit early this week with a high-school program visit to the AGO.
After a week of making found object art and discussing both the historical and environmental significance of it, the grade nine class continued our look into environmental issues with a trip to Anthropocene. The students found this exhibit informative, interactive, and provocative.
It seemed like Mickalene Thomas‘ first solo show at the AGO stole the show for most of the kids on this trip. This exhibit features sitting rooms with carefully curated feminist book titles, paintings embedded with seemingly infinite rhinestones, screen printed images and film installations.
After the Thomas show, we checked out the latest rotation of Kathe Kollwitz art. It was another great opportunity to view an artist with amazing technical ability using their medium to make positive change in the world.
It was an inspiring trip with a great group of students! It was lovely way to start the holidays. Have a great break everyone!
The Adult printmaking class had the opportunity for a private visit the AGO Print and Drawing Centre. The curatorial staff at the centre picked a selection of print works to give students a chance to view masterworks from the disciplines we have studied this semester- etching, monoprint, serigraph and relief.
Acrylic self-portraits by our grade 9 students and illustrator self-portraits by our grade 11 students are currently on display at our local Second Cup. Thanks to Andy at the store for supporting our program and our school.
Come by and Bloor and Lippencott for a delicious cup of coffee and some great art!
Last week students from the specialized art program visited the Koffler Centre for the Arts at Artscape Youngplace. The students became fully absorbed in discussion about the various artworks from the current show Through Lines. To quote the Koffler website ” Each project featured in this exhibition engages a restorative gesture that speaks to the ways in which history and memory are conceptualized within a contemporary context.” Artists have created work dealing with various forms of censorship and redaction stemming from a variety of social contexts.
Students also had a chance to see the exhibition “Small Cures” in which 32 artists have created 100, 6 inch square paintings for auction, with all proceeds going to support cancer patients at Mount Sinai who are facing financial hardship. Follow @smallcures for auction details.
After seeing the show, students got a chance to try their hands at exploring redaction through a workshop on zine making. The students were so inspired that they suggested starting a zine club at school. Stay tuned for that!
CTS ceramic students had a relaxing immersion into culture this week. The week started with an all day visit to the Gardiner Museum with teacher, Jen Leis. Ms. Leis toured the students around the permanent collection before taking them to the current exhibition “Obsession: Sir William Van Horne’s Japanese Ceramics.”
Sorlie Maddox and Helen Kong of Secret Tea Time accompanied the students through the show to give them insight about the insight of Japanese pottery and it’s surrounding traditions.
Maddox and Kong visited the school for the following two days came to the school to visit the students class. On the first day, they narrated a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. On the second day, they showed students how to create a traditional tea bowl.
The sculpture students in the adult program have been focusing on sharpening their skills of composition through several 3D abstract projects. In this assignment, students started by composing several clay maquettes using a tight set of rules. Upon choosing their favourite, students created a large version out of clay.
Students are now creating molds of these large sculptures which will later be cast in plaster or gypsum cement.
Senior student Aillen Rendal has been chosen to represent the school for our visual arts submission to the Marion Drysdale Award. The theme of this year’s award was “Ahead by a Century.” Students were encouraged to design paintings challenging the notion of technology as the only vision of progress.
Students worked for several days with contemporary watercolourist Tristram Lansdowne to develop their skills in watercolour painting prior to beginning the project.
Aillen’s work pays tribute to the missing and murdered Indiginous women, and the silencing of Indiginous peoples in their fight for the preservation of the environment and their culture.
The decision to choose Aillen’s work was a difficult one. The close runner-up was Shiane Slack-Phillip’s work. Here, she challenges the “audacity” of the United States for claiming the moon with their flag. Her alternate world superpower chooses a flag of inclusion and acceptance.
We are so proud of CTS Sculpture major Katie Luu for her skilled entry to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair student butter sculpting competition. Katie completed this sculpture over the course of two days. Katie is in grade 12 and intends to attend OCADU for sculpture next year. Nice work Katie!
What an exciting way to start the year!
Last year, students from our grade 11 and 12 specialist art program worked with instructors Ulf Bein and Trish Boon as well as professional artist Jessica Thalman, to create a large scale digital mural. The project exemplified the use of global competencies in our art program. Students worked collaboratively to create visions of a sustainable future and combined traditional art skills with the use of technology. The mural is currently on display on Bloor, just west of Bathurst.
CTS Art Centre 