#inquiringminds

(The Virginia Park Elementary School Grade 5 class with Amy Malbeuf’s Iskotew - photo courtesy of City Hall School)

They journaled, they jumped, and they connected with the stories of this place.

The Grade 5 class from Virginia Park School visited ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞, Edmonton’s Indigenous art park, earlier this month. Facilitated by Edmonton Arts Council Public Art Officer Chelsea Boida, the tour guided the students through the six artworks within Queen Elizabeth Park.

(Students explore Marianne Nicolson’s Preparing to Cross the Sacred River at ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ - photo courtesy of City Hall School)

The tour was one of many activities in which the class participated during their week at City Hall School. The immersive, hands-on program connects students to their city, curriculum and career pathways. Students not only spend a week in a dedicated classroom at City Hall, but also participate in curriculum enrichment activities throughout the school year. In addition to teaching kids about City Council and how municipal government works, the program offers arts-based activities as a way of animating subjects such as art, social studies, language arts, math, and science. For City Hall School, connecting students with Edmonton’s public art presents a creative way of encouraging imaginative learning.

(Student with journal - photo courtesy of the school)

The students are expected to actively engage with the subject matter by journaling about their impressions, thoughts and feelings. The visit to ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ inspired sketches and lively journal entries as well as commentary on the weather.

(Sketch page from a Virginia Park student’s journal)

“I liked going to the Indigenous art park and seeing the sculptures. I love the steps and the Cree dialect piece it was very cool”.

“Today we went to the Indigenous Art Park . Every 10 minutes we would go on the bus because it was so cold. We saw a piece that had 3 levels built out of different materials. We saw 2 murals with animals and lots of colour on it. There was a piece with a coyote on a high ridge with a bunny underneath. We saw a word which meant fire in Cree. We saw a piece that looked like a tooth, but it was a bone painted in white. My favourites were the colourful mural one with animals”.

“Today I enjoyed going to the Indigenous art park because there was amazing art and they are outside. I liked the turtles because of all the mosaic pieces. The only bad part was how cold it was outside. We had to go back in the bus to warm up.”

(Colourful beaver detail of mamohkamatowin (Helping One Another) by Jerry Whitehead)

Parents are huge fans as well and, like their kids, journaled about the experience.

“The Indigenous Art Park was AMAZING. The wonderful use of creativity and the Cree language was very cool. That colorful little beaver on the turtle mosaics was a highlight for me. So colorful and happy”.

(Virginia Park Elementary School students with mikikwan, Duane Linklater’s reimagining of an ancient hide scraper - photo courtesy of the school)

“For me, today was very inspiring to be at the art park. I really feel that these are the first steps to making the connection with the citizens of Edmonton. A connection to healing the past, to move forward as partners in this great city. All of our lives are important and we all matter. A connection to the past, a connection to the past, and a connection to a great future together”.

You can follow the public art (and other) adventures of City Hall School on  Twitter @CityHallSchool

26: How are you feeling right now?

Weehoo!! Regional variants! I can't decide between Fairy/Flying or Fairy/Dark :]