Throughout the pandemic, artsPlace has been a haven for the community’s young artists; a place to meet up with friends and make sense of the issues impacting their lives and their loved ones.
“We have a whole generation of kids in this little town for whom artsPlace is the safe place that they tottle off to after their school day; it’s the place where their peer group lives,” says Nicole Fougère, Programs Director at artsPlace. “They feel safe with their friends around them at artsPlace when they might not feel safe anywhere else.”
Artists like Evan Rodney. Evan’s been participating in programs at artsPlace since they were seven years old. Now they’re in grade six, and exhibiting their artwork alongside established artists in the Bow Valley. It’s no surprise—Evan’s always been a creative kid.
“From a very young age, Evan had an incredible ability to draw. So even in grade one and grade two, Evan was drawing things that were far more advanced and detailed than I had ever seen. And that continues to this day,” recalls Evan’s mom, Jen Rodney.
Evan’s work is inspired by fantasy and the outdoors. They tend to draw unicorns, dragons, and mythical creatures, and sometimes turn plants into characters. Evan’s cohort of eight made up some of the 128 kids participating in artsPlace’s summer camps last year.
“It felt very safe and comfortable,” says Evan, as though everything that was happening outside the studio was no big deal. “It was just like, you wear a mask and you do art,” they shrug.
But inside the studio, something profound was taking place. “Something that really resonated with me this last summer camp was how supportive and excited the instructors were; not just of Evan’s work, but who Evan was,” says Jen, who describes picking Evan up at the end of each day to a chorus of praise. “On more than one occasion, the instructors would talk to me about how absolutely incredible Evan was.”
When the instructors asked Evan if they would like to showcase their work in an upcoming exhibition, their answer was a resounding, “of course!”
As a community-wide exhibition, Becoming offered kids in the summer camps an opportunity to display their works of art alongside emerging artists in the first five years of their career. “It was this wonderful ramble of children’s masterpieces next to really professional works of art,” says Nicole. “And it covered every single nook and cranny of the gallery.”
When the exhibition opened to the public, members of the community came together to celebrate, including Evan. “They came dressed in their fanciest of fancies with their parents to be present with these professional artists,” says Nicole.
“It was moving to see Evan feel connected to the arts community and worthy of standing in front of their artwork on the wall.” “It was very cool to see and meet other artists that were more experienced,” Evan says. “It made me feel really proud of myself. I always thought drawing was just a hobby, but now I see that it’s something you can actually do and be great.”
