Through a more than 40-year partnership, the Burnaby Art Gallery – or BAG as it is affectionately known – is spotlighting the talents of students in two public exhibitions.
Burnaby Board of Education Chair Kristin Schnider:
We’re incredibly proud of the talented student artists who have worked so hard to prepare for these exhibitions. As a Board, we’re grateful to the Burnaby Art Gallery for their partnership that both enriches learning opportunities and provides a public platform to showcase the creativity of children and youth in our schools.”
Arts Alive
Now in its 43rd year, this year’s Arts Alive event on the gallery’s main floor features the work of children in Kindergarten through Grade 7.
The Awesomeology: Gratitude in the Little Things exhibition showcases creations by students at Aubrey, Brentwood Park, Capitol Hill, Kitchener, Morley, Rosser, Stoney Creek, Stride Avenue, and Westridge Elementary schools.
The children found inspiration through the joy and “awesome” in their everyday lives – exploring areas such as nature, knowledge, friendship, family and food. With 41 classes represented, their work reflects a shared desire to work together to expand imaginations.
Artist Apprenticeship
The talents of youth in the Artist Apprenticeship Program are on display upstairs. The Form Identity, Cast Reflections exhibition features the artwork of twelve high school students from Alpha Secondary, Byrne Creek Community School, Burnaby Central Secondary, Burnaby North Secondary, Burnaby Mountain Secondary, Moscrop Secondary, and the Youth Hub.
Now in its 17th year, students who are interested in pursuing fine arts as a career have an opportunity to be mentored by artists and arts professionals through the apprenticeship program, which is put on in collaboration with the District and the BAG. The exhibition is one aspect of this career exploration.
For this year’s Form Identity, Cast Reflections, the student-artists responded to the theme of “shadows” and artworks from the City of Burnaby’s Permanent Art Collection. The art on display is the culmination of the students’ 9-week exploration of this topic.
Seeing the Exhibitions
A free opening reception will be held at the gallery on May 1 from 7 to 9pm. With entrance by donation, the exhibitions run from May 2 to June 1.
More information, including the BAG’s hours and location, can be found here.
Posted April 2025