Donation to the Art Class

YMCA Academy Arts, Community, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments

You never know what kind of connections you will make. At our recent Student Art Sale fundraiser at the Central Y, Academy art students met Alta, a YMCA member and artist, who was perusing the art for sale. A couple of weeks later, she emailed art teacher Alexi to see if the program could use some supplies she didn’t need anymore. Yesterday Alta arrived at our school with her car full of calligraphy ink and pens, unused pastel sets, tubes of acrylic paint, piles and roles of paper, art books, paint brushes, professional pencils, drafting tools, and many, many more generous offerings!! We promised to gives these donated items a second life in the art room. Thank you, Alta, for your amazing generosity!

Celebrating Black History Month

YMCA Academy Arts, Beyond the Classroom, Community, Experiential Learning, YMCA of Greater Toronto No Comments

Happy Black History Month from the YMCA Academy! We’ve been busy celebrating, learning and participating in many exciting events the last couple of weeks. The senior art class took a trip to the AGO to see the artworks of the infamous New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. “Now’s the Time” is the first retrospective of Basquiat to ever hit a Canadian gallery!

Several Academy students also participated in the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s first ever Black History Month Youth Committee event. Keynote speakers, education workshops and a tasty Caribbean lunch brought together many youth from organizations around the GTA. A huge thanks and congratulations to the following students for their performances and assistance: Tristan A, Alex, Emily, Mahadir, Evan, Quinn and Lindsey.

Lastly, UMOJA, a group of multi-talented dancers, writers and educators, came all the way from Montreal to perform and share the history and meaning of a dance called “stepping.” They had a Black History Month quiz, moving and inspirational spoken word performances, and even invited us all to move our chairs out of the way and try a few moves. To echo Steev from UMOJA, WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL.

 

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Tissue Paper Stained Glass

YMCA Academy Arts, Native Studies, Student Spotlight No Comments

The Grade 9 Native Studies class created stunning tissue paper “stained glass” compositions inspired by the artworks of the Ojibway, Algonquin and Mi’kmaq First Nations. Using thick black lines, a broad colour pallet and abstract designs, students applied elements often found in Eastern Woodland art to their own multi-media projects. Rather than on the wall, these transparent pieces will go on the windows!

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Art Gallery of Ontario 2014

YMCA Academy Arts, Experiential Learning, Native Studies No Comments

The Grade 9 Expressing Aboriginal Cultures class visited the Art Gallery of Ontario on a snowy morning this week.  We toured around the Canadian Exhibition which features some gems by the Group of Seven and also saw two original paintings by the Eastern Woodlands master Norval Morriseau.  At the end of the trip we got to step into the dark and mysterious projection booth in the Jackman Hall theatre.  Old fashioned film is heavy!

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Nov 28th, 2013 – Gargoyle Glazing at the Gardiner

YMCA Academy Arts, Experiential Learning

The clay gargoyles made by students in the grade 11 media arts and grade 10 visual arts classes a few weeks back came out of the kiln intact (for the most part).  Students returned to the glorious clay studios at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art to apply coloured glazes to their pieces.  Once fired, they will be ready to be packaged, picked up and displayed at the Academy.  It’s been a rewarding and educational experience where students learned about the whole process of ceramic art and had the opportunity to work with two professional artists.  Stay tuned for photos of the final pieces!

Check out the rest of the pictures on our Facebook Page!