The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-02-11, Page 19Professional artist teaches
fantasy art at Victoria
BYJOANNE BUCHANAN
Students at Victoria Public School are
presently being treated to the services of a
professional artist thanks to Ontario's
'Creative Artists in the Schools' program.
Mona Mulhern of Goderich, 'who
specializes in fantasy art, bas received an
Ontario Arts Council (OAC) grant to teach,
the students at Victoria school to use color,
symbols, moods, imagination and feelings
in their art work
This is the second time Victoria has
madeuse of an OAC grant to bring a
professional artist into the school. A few
.,years ago, the students learnedabout silk -
and �pai tong from si -sai
cre
...a D u— nboro
Mrs Mulhern says it is disappointing
that More schools In this area don't take
advantage of the grant which pays 75 per
cent of the artist's fee up to 81,500 plus
project material costs up to $200. If an
artist is brought in from out-of-town, the
- grant wail also pay- travel and ac-
conomotion e=;ie 4, is .
The Creative Artists program bas been
in existence since 1973. The idea behind it
is to help bring professional creative ar-
tists of all disciplines (i.e. film, sculpture,
ceramics, photography, playwrighting,
Painting, music, poetry, puppetry, etc)
into direct contact with students and
teachers in a school setting: Students are
encouraged to discover their own
creativity with the artist acting as a
!catalyst.
Mrs. Mulhern says Jahn Kane, Victoria
school principal, knew of her work and
first approached her with the idea of ap-
plying for a grant to teach at the schooL
She then met with the staff at the school to
determine how a specific short9term
prranilSould be -set ate. Nest,' wrote
to the OAC to explain the program that had
been worked out and how it would benefit .
the students.
The artists who apply for OAC grants
are carefully screened by a panel of other
artists who decide which applications will
be accepted. Mrs. Mulhern had to send in
samples of her work along with in-
fo mrtion on heerseIf. To her advaatag e,
she had had previous experience teaching
art classes through the Goderich
Recreation Board and in •setting up
Teacher Frank McDonald, foreground, got into the somersault -turning act during GDCI
winter carnvlal last Friday. (Photo by Cath Wooden) .'
programs for children through the YMCA
in another city where she used to live.
Prior to starting her two week program
at Victoria school on February 9, Mrs.
Mulhern had the co-operation of the
. school's teachers who taught their
students some fantasy literature in lass
and also took them on an outing to see Mrs.
Mulhern's display of paintings at the
Nephew art gallery in town.
To aid her in teaching, Mrs Mulhern is
using several different Art Packs from the
Gallery in Stratford., These packs are
made up of various reproduction of well-
known paintings which carr be used as
sis■aaids--for-alustratmg-specifie aspects
of art.
Mrs. Mulhern also plans to have the
students paint to different kinds of music
and emphasizes the use of the imagination
in drawing and painting.
She would welcome parents or any in-
terested people from the community to
d� by V toric schoe! to observe the art
project in progress. The school office has a
list of which classes she will be in at cer-
tain times.
Students at Victoria Public school are presently learning ware
about art through die Creative Artists SChoods og» am fere,
Goderich artist Mona Mulhern explains one of her fantasy
L*oaericflthe
i
N
drawings le a grow el hluergar children. (Photo by Jean
Buchanan)
AL
STA
'133 YEAR -6
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11,1981
SECOND5ECTION
.I, students take
P
to snow .for winter fun
It looks as though Chris Petrie had, most of his pie on his
face at the end of the GDCI pie -eating contest on Thur-
sday, pari of winter carnival activities. ( Photo by Cath
Wooden)
Quick, measure that bubble before it explodes! John Thompson produced a large bubble for
Kim Black to size -up during GDCI's bubble gum blowing contest last Thursday, but it still
wasn't big enough to be a winner. (Photo by Cath Wooden)
Tah dah! These GDCI students were the fastest at building
a .human pyramid last Friday during winter carnival ae-
Ifvfiiet. Students alis task part g
Mowing, tug-of-war, somersault turning, broonrball, and
hockey. ( Photo by Cath Wooden)
Team work wins the day!
GDCI's four Houses took on each other in a tug-of-war contest during their
winter annul lit Friday. Can you guess whether this tears won or lost'.
( Photo by Cath Wisdom)