By Melissa Jameson, Special to the Review
Revelstoke Secondary art students have their works on display at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre for the fifth year in a row. This year’s show is slightly smaller, with only the side galleries being used for the exhibit.
“This year, because we were in a smaller space I restricted it to Grades 11 and 12, with some exceptional pieces from some younger grades,” said Theresa Browning, RSS art teacher.
Browning said many of the Grade 11 and 12 students have been in art since Grade 8.
“So this is their final year. A few of them are looking to continue with art once they graduate,” she said.
There are fewer students exhibiting in the show this year. However, the caliber of art is still outstanding. Victoria Strange, the executive director of the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre, said credit needs to go to Browning for being such a great teacher.
Browning said for her it’s about allowing the students to explore.
“I tend to be not really regimented that it has to be done a certain way. There’s no wrong way,” she said. ”I tell them I’m more your tour guide than anything else. I suggested mediums and I suggest subject matter with themes. Ultimately their interpretation is their interpretation and I’m just there to help them to use the medium that they choose to work in, or if that medium isn’t working suggest another medium.”
Grade 10 student Adrian Dunkerson is one of the few students exhibiting work who is not in Grade 11 or 12. She has two pieces in the show, which were done as part of a class assignment based on completing a series of sketches. Dunkerson said students not in Grades 11 or 12 could either submit pieces or see if Browning would choose their work.
“She chose it, and I kind of wanted her to choose it. It makes it feel more special, because, ‘Hey, you got chosen,’” she said. “I was pretty excited when I saw these getting framed.”
Hallah Donovan-Johnson is another Grade 10 student whose work appears in the show. Like Dunkerson, Donovan-Johnson’s piece was chosen by Browning to be a part of the exhibit.
“I thought it was really cool that she chose one I did that she liked most,” she said.
Grade 11 student Mace Coleman has had his pieces in the RSS art shows for about three years.
“It’s building my confidence very slowly,” said Coleman. “I never really thought there would be gallery pieces based on projects I was doing for art. But sometimes they turned out really good, so I was like ‘I’ll put that in.’”
The RSS student exhibition runs at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre until June 23.