M’CHIGEENG—This year’s 10th annual Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) art show, Artastic Fusion, was held recently. Artastic Fusion is an annual juried art show held at MSS that incorporates an end of the year display of high school art and elementary art with workshops by local artists that are held throughout the year.
One of the unique features of this show is that it displays the new talent of innovative secondary school students and elementary school artists side-by-side.
This year Artastic Fusion had over 50 pieces of art work, from 3D creations to paintings, drawings, photography and mixed media pieces created by students of MSS and Island Grade 7 and 8 students. One of the goals of the show is to gain public recognition for the creative perspectives of these young people who observe and discover the beauty around them as well as tackling local and global issues through their art.
Another goal of the Artastic Fusion committee is to incorporate student workshops throughout the year that introduce students to the expertise and work of local artists. This year’s featured artists were Sophie Edwards with land art and palette knife painting and Zoe McDougall with stained glass.
The show’s main goal is to showcase up-and-coming Island artists and to encourage them to pursue post-secondary art. It’s a show for young people by young people, and it teaches those involved how to put on an artistic event successfully as well as building bridges between MSS, Wasse Abin, the Manitoulin Fine Arts Association (MFAA), and the Island elementary schools. MSS and the La Cloche Art School sponsored the event this year. The MFAA also provided judging and feedback to students participating in the prize activities. Prizes of $75, $50, and $25 were presented for the three best pieces of art submitted to the judges. Building on last year’s success, there were three Viewer’s Choice awards also awarded worth $15 and $20 dollars. These are picked by the student population.
Artastic Fusion awards are judged based on originality, skillfulness and the technique displayed, creativity and presentation. To achieve top awards all criteria must be met. The added bonus this year was that the Willisville Art School offered up a week’s worth of summer school to winning participants. This year’s Willisville participants were Rebecca Dawson and Bethany Williams.
Winners of the Artastic Fusion art show were: Best of Show and $75, ‘Emergence’ by Robin Genereux; second place and $50, ‘We see everything’ by Bethany Williams; third place tie and $25 each, ‘Colour Explosion’ by Kayla Hughson and ‘Companion’ by Rebecca Dawson. Second and third place winners also share a week’s worth of free registration from the Willisville Fine Arts School for summer workshops next month.
Viewer’s Choice awards went to: ‘Catfight’ by Cheyenne Barnes; ‘Daenerys’ by Joy McGibbon; and ‘Castiel’ by Carolyn Glasby.
Honourable Mentions went to: Sabrina Bondi, Rebecca Dawson, Cheyenne Barnes, Katelyn Sauders, Bethany Williams, William Lindner and Zach McCulligh.
Prizes were awarded to winners of the various theme contests. High school themes this year were: “In the center of the earth there is…,” “Out of Perspective,” “The Monster thru the Lens of a Camera,” and “My Favourite ________.” Elementary themes were “First day of high school,” book passage illustration and “In the center of the earth.”
Elementary Theme Contest winners were: first place, Grace Duncanson and Bethany Wesno, CMPS; second, Eric Orford, CMPS; Viewer’s Choice, Camryn Wood, C.C. McLean and Jacob Bebamash, CMPS, Grade 8.
MSS Theme contest winners, senior, for “In the Center of the Earth there is…something pulsating” was Robin Genereaux while Cheyenne Barnes took first place in the junior division.
