For once, the art teachers in the city are not letting their pupils hog all the limelight in May.
Historically, this month has always been the time when high school art students get to show off their creative skills at the Art Gallery of St. Albert during its annual High Energy exhibition.
While this year is no different, just down the street Art Beat is offering up a counterpart to prove that they are learning from some highly qualified instructors.
The Teachers' Show is the first time that the city's art teachers — mostly high school art teachers — have gotten their own stage. You'll see names like Laura Watmough, Julie Hage, Rayma Peterson, Pam Wilman, Colleen Hewitt, Judy Smallwood and Brent Kieser, among others.
Andrew Raczynski is another in the group. The art teacher at St. Albert Catholic High School is a practising artist in his own right. He can also take some credit for making the show happen along with gallery owners Sandra and Eric Outram.
“I told her how much I appreciate the great work that they do with our students,” Raczynski said of his dealings with Sandra during school field trips.
They all discuss the work that is on display as a way of providing another level of art education. The gallery is among the best in Western Canada, he says, plus it's like another school for learning.
The kernel of the show popped when he mentioned how fortunate his students are to get their work shown at the Art Gallery of St. Albert. Sandra responded rhetorically, hypothesizing that the same chance should be afforded to the teachers. She offered her store's walls for the gig.
“I thought, isn't that a wonderful opportunity,” she said.
For her part, Sandra is pleased so many teachers were willing to put their canvases where their mouths are.
“We're very satisfied,” she said, after Thursday's opening during ArtWalk. “We had a lot of very good comments from people who thought it was a great idea, some had never seen teachers' work on display. Of course the teachers appreciated each other's work as well.”
Right now the outstanding work on the walls is as varied in style and media as High Energy is.
The Teachers' Show runs throughout this month at Art Beat Gallery located at 26 St. Anne St. For more information about the show, please call 459-3679 or visit www.artbeat.ab.ca.
