#944 Elmwood School Art Exhibition

A while back we mentioned the Elmwood School art exhibition at our photo studio.

The Vernissage was last Friday and it was packed. Students, parents and the public packed the studio to see the artwork.

Elmwood Art Exhibition

Elmwood Art Exhibition

It’s worth seeing. One visitor this week came to see the exhibit as she passed the studio. Her reaction?
This artwork is done by high school students?!
Yes!

You only have a few days left to see it! The exhibition closes Sunday, May 12th!

Elmwood Art Exhibition

Elmwood Art Exhibition

Details:
May 3rd-12th, 2013.

Hours:
Wednesday-Friday: 12-6pm.
Saturday, Sunday: 10-4pm.

Ottawa Studio Works
160 Preston St. Ottawa

Elmwood Art Exhibition

Elmwood Art Exhibition

Read a review by Marita Cockburn BA, MA, MFA:

An exhibition of the work of grade 9-12 students, the second annual Elmwood Art Show sets an impressive precedent for high school art programs in the Ottawa area.

Drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, and mixed media mingle in the gallery space, producing a strong aesthetic end product. The works also present a convincing conceptual framework; indeed, a thorough understanding of any of the works is predicated on this conceptual underpinning.

The exhibition engages with several themes, among them the notion of place, space, and the conception of public and private identity; but, while complex ideas are at the heart of most of the exhibition, the works sustain a refreshing and admirable simplicity. Perhaps most rewarding for the audience, however, is that, embedded in each piece there is evidence of these young artists’ intellectual and creative processes, as they expand their consciousness. It is both exciting and a privilege to share and engage in this experience.

At the show’s opening, the artists conducted themselves impressively, often times volunteering insights on their work to the guests. The handbill was also helpful for navigating some of the work. Further, for the week-long exhibition, most of the students provided extended (and cogently written) artist statements that outlined the creative process, an acknowledgment of the evolution of the work, from its inception to its completion.  

Credit should go to Elmwood art teacher, Heawon Chun, for directing the student work in a conceptual direction – high school art is all too frequently trapped in the material and concrete realm. Acclaim, however, should also go to the participating students, who skillfully met the challenge presented to them by their teacher.