Creativity goes a long way, and during the Imagination on the Move program, presented by the Two Rivers Gallery, it will go all the way out of Prince George and into the surrounding rural communities.
Elementary schools in Giscome, Hixon, Nukko Lake, Valemount, McBride, Mackenzie, and Buckhorn are getting an educational arts program thanks to funding from the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, and during the six-week program, the Two Rivers' regional programming co-ordinators visit each class after teachers receive a pre-visit lesson book, plan and supplies.
The regional programming co-ordinators from the gallery then visit each class, reviewing the lesson and facilitating an extended studio program with the students.
During their pre-visit lesson, kindergarten to Grade 3 students create a group night-time city mural.
Students use their bodies to learn about architectural elements and each build their own structure from small wooden pieces.
The Grade 4 to 7 students design buildings using mixed-media collage techniques during the pre-visit, then when gallery co-ordinators come to the class, the intermediate students work in pairs to make building material from rolled newspapers and use these rolls to build structures.
During the six-week program the co-ordinators visit 900 students in 41 classrooms split between eight schools.
The program also allows art teachers and School District 57 to connect with the gallery to share ideas about teaching art with the teacher's co-operation.
