Through the innovative “Smartart Artsmart” project, many students in the Weyburn and area have been able to engage in art projects with trained professional artists in their classroom setting.
Smartart Artsmart is a project created by Simple With a Twist, and has many different partners who organize the program.
“We choose Smartart Artsmart as the name of the project because you can’t spell smart without art,” said Heather van der Breggen, a representative of Simple With a Twist. “The project is one that speaks to the individuality of each unique person being a part of a whole. Each of us contributes to our world.”
Other representatives on the Smartart Artsmart board include Laurie Kleppe from the Sun Country Health Region; Sandi Klatt from the Southeast Cornerstone Public School Division; Lynda Rideout from Envision Counselling and Support Centre; Tasha Collins from the Canadian Mental Health Association; Clark Gawryluik with the Weyburn Kin Club; and Heather van der Breggen and Rickee-Lee Webster with Simple With a Twist.
Grant funding helps bring the Smartart Artsmart program to rural schools. To date, the rural schools visited include Ogema, Radville, Carlyle and Oxbow. Participating Weyburn schools include Souris and Queen Elizabeth, with Haig taking part next week.
Schools in Stoughton, Milestone and Yellow Grass will be visited in the next couple of months.
Through the program, students are instructed through the process of creating an abstract painting from a provided image, learning basic painting skills. Unknown to the students until the end, their completed pieces are installed together and form an image of the earth from space. “This surprise is followed with discussion that each piece they created, like themselves, impacts the big picture and makes our world whole.”
