Elementary student art featured at exhibition at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre

Sunset of Bloom by Grade 6 student Amy Celiktepe of Maddaugh Elementary

Fifty pieces of art by students at 10 Surrey and White Rock elementary schools are currently on display at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre as part of the district’s elementary art exhibition, running now through May 29.

This year’s showcase features two-dimensional works by students in early primary grades to Grade 7. The types of artwork include portraits, landscapes, still life, compositions and lots of nature-themed art pieces.

“They’re definitely reflections of the classroom learning and the different skills that the teachers have been working on with them,” said Sandra Meister, an arts education helping teacher with Surrey Schools. “The students used lots of different media like pencil crayons, water colours, pastels, and there’s one piece done with fabric art. The pieces are very diverse and lovely to look at.”

All of the art pieces were made in-class by students as part of their coursework, with the event serving as a public celebration of in-class learning. Meister said offering the opportunity for students to highlight their creativity in a public setting allows them to further express themselves and experience its interpretation outside of the classroom.

“These kinds of events have been going on for decades in Surrey, and I recently spoke to a person whose art had been in of these showcases probably 15 years ago, and they still remember it being a really big deal,” she said. “For a child, it’s quite exceptional to see something you’ve created put on display in a public space and open for people to think about.

“Art pushes us to look and to question and to wonder, and you’re putting your work out there for people to view your expression.”

The exhibition is open through Monday, May 29, at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre, 1701 152 St. The mall is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays and holidays from noon to 5 p.m.