ARTHUR – Area students are bringing Canada’s colours to downtown Arthur and area ahead of the village’s 150th celebrations.
Eileen MacArthur of the Arthur School of Art collaborated with the Arthur Chamber of Commerce to bring art activities to local schools and the community for the anniversary celebration July 1 to 3.
“The real theory behind it was just to bring a little bit of art at this time, in any way possible, to the schools and the young people in Arthur,” said MacArthur.
There are three separate art activities being completed by schools in the area, with the projects divided by grade levels.
Students in Grades 1 to 3 at Arthur Public, St. John Catholic, Arthur Christian, Alma Public and Kenilworth Public Schools are having a colouring contest.
The students’ colouring pages will be displayed at the Arthur Curling Club during the 150 weekend.
At Arthur Public, St. John Catholic and Arthur Christian Schools, students in Grades 4 to 6 are drawing landscapes.
MacArthur is going into the three schools and examining the landscape around each, showing kids historical and contemporary artists, and having them try a guided and an inventive landscape.
“[We’re] focusing on what the landscape around the school looks like, just trying to notice some of the things that we might overlook, and then also representing the landscape in our community,” said MacArthur.
The landscapes will also be on display at the Arthur Curling Club.
Students at the three schools in Grades 7 and 8 took to Arthur’s downtown on June 10 armed with brushes and red and white paint.
Stencils of maple leaves were taped to storefront windows with the students taking care of the rest, filling in the borders and adding their own artistic fair with a 150 theme.
A completed leaf is seen painted onto a storefront window. Students from Arthur Public, St. John Catholic and Arthur Christian Schools have painted storefront windows along George Street in Arthur ahead of the village’s 150th anniversary celebrations. Photo by Jordan Snobelen
“I always thought it’d be great to involve the students because it’s kind of fun to be out in public and be painting, and the community’s really receptive to it, and it’s nice to pass by your artwork,” said MacArthur.
“So, I think it just brings a nice kind of connection.”
When she first opened the art school, window painting was a way of offering art services to local businesses, and she thought it would be a great way to get the community to paint together.
“When people see that kind of effort being put into their town, it’s a loving message that people care,” she said.
“The feedback I received the most is that it’s just something that they’re missing this year … I think every little bit of art instruction that they can have, or just art collaboration seems to have been really important.”
Keith Brubacher from Arthur Christian School commented on the reception of the activities.
“I was part of the Grade 7 and 8 group that painted maple leaves on the windows of the post office, TD Bank, and It’s All About Me,” Brubacher said.
“I thought the leaf painted as the Canadian flag turned out particularly well. You can find it on the TD Bank window. We enjoyed the activity; it was a nice diversion from our studies.”
Tiffany McClennan, a Grade 7 and 8 teacher at St. John Catholic School, said her students “had a great time designing and painting their maple leaves.
“They appreciated the chance to be part of the celebration and liked being the first class to be invited to decorate the windows downtown.”
– With files from Jordan Snobelen
