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Principles in Practice: TDSS Art Show 2025
Creative works by TDSS Grade 9 and 10 art students + art club
November 9 - December 12
Ms. Stinkowji - Gr. 10 Visual Arts; AVI2O
This body of work celebrates the creativity, exploration, and developing artistic voices of our Grade 10 Visual Art students at TDSS. So far, students have explored a variety of materials, techniques, and ideas while discovering their personal styles and growing confidence as artists. A highlight has been the opportunity to collaborate with local artist Cal Knight, learning firsthand about professional art practices and creative processes. The exhibition features a range of projects that demonstrate both technical skill and personal expression, including Elements of Art projects that showcase foundational understanding of design and composition, Dot Paintings completed alongside Cal Knight that explore rhythm, repetition, and abstraction through careful craftsmanship, and Watercolour and Ink projects that capture a moment in time through expressive landscapes and still life compositions. Together, these works highlight the students’ growth as emerging artists and celebrate the power of creativity, collaboration, and connection through art.
Mrs. Gagné - Gr. 9 Indigenous Art; NAC1O
Formline Clay Sculptures inspired by Coast Salish of the Northwest Coast
Kʷetxʷiləm - Coast Salish for “welcome”
For this clay project, students learned about the Coast Salish peoples and life on the Northwest Coast. Students were challenged to learn the fundamentals of constructing with clay while selecting an animal indigenous to the Northwest Coast of Turtle Island and applying characteristics of formline design. Students began with the process of selecting an image of an animal of their choosing and began with a contour for the outer edge. Working inwards, students filled the animal with traditional Northwest Coast formline shapes such as ovoids, split U’s, S-shapes, and relief shapes. Students explored ways to arrange their shapes to mimic the animal’s features such as joints, muscles, or ligaments. Using elements and principles of design such as line, shape, colour, balance, and unity, students focused on exploring with positive vs negative space within a piece.
This section of the exhibition is titled Kʷetxʷiləm, meaning “welcome” in the Coast Salish language - welcoming the learning and honouring of an art style which has been practiced for hundreds of years. Within “NAC10A”, students are encouraged to explore a range of art styles made by various groups within Turtle Island. Our goal for this project was to study formline design from the Northwest Coast Peoples with the purpose of learning within a classroom. However, outside of the classroom, students have been encouraged not to create in this style without the mentorship of an Indigenous artist who practices in the Northwest Coast style, as it would be considered cultural appropriation to do so.
Here are the various ways students approached this assignment in a culturally appreciative way:
● Research the Coast Salish peoples and life on the Northwest Coast
● Learn and explore the meaning of traditional colours used in Formline Art
● Use techniques to honour the Formline style
● Reflect on what we have learned and how we have benefited from engaging with Formline style of art
● Continue to acknowledge that we are learning a style influenced by Coast Salish culture
Indigenous Ways of Knowing Drawing Assignment
Kikinoamadwin - Algonquin for “community” Within this series of art pieces, students were challenged to visually express Indigenous Ways of Knowing and cultural practices they have learned either within class or through their own life experience. The goal for this assignment was to compose an image that thoughtfully incorporated coloured pencil techniques and blending. The diversity of imagery selected shows how students' life experiences impact what they have learned about Indigenous Ways of Knowing and ways in which they celebrate their culture.When instructing this unit on Indigenous Ways of Knowing and encouraging students to create pieces based on the learning they have gained, I kept reflecting on the term, “kikinoamadwin” meaning community in the Algonquin language. Community is centered around themes of collectivity, growth and togetherness while also developing ideas of learning and passing on knowledge. This section of the exhibition is meant to embrace this experience of students sharing their community practices and learning of new knowledge. When displayed together, the goal is to highlight this idea of learning and growing together which is essential to living in a world where we can both listen, understand, appreciate, and work together in a community.
Grade 10 Visual Arts Class, Room 116 Creative Arts Class
Artist Statement for Collaborative Puzzle Pieces
Together We Fit, 2025
Mixed media on paper
This collaborative art project celebrates individuality and connection. Each puzzle piece was designed by a different artist, reflecting their unique personality, interests, and creative style. When assembled, the pieces form a beautiful abstract representation of community. The project reminds us that every person contributes something essential to the whole, and that together, we create something stronger, more beautiful, and complete.
