Kids from the Child Development Centre preschool have released their ‘inner artists’ for a beautiful art show at Station House Gallery.
The fresh, unique show is on display in the upper level of the gallery until the end of April, and each piece is for sale as a fundraiser for the CDC and for the gallery.
Members of the community had the opportunity to meet the young artists last week at open house events where they enjoyed refreshments as well as art, and the opportunity to meet Aileen Hewett, original founder of the CDC.
She said that it is exciting to see how the organization has grown. “It has grown on the inside for quite a while, expanding and adding services and programs, and is now expanding on the outside as well,” she said.
She noted that the art show is an excellent opportunity for both the children and the community. “It’s wonderful for any child to be exposed to the arts community. One of the main features of the Centre is that there is no difference made between children. They are all the same – we appreciate each one.”
CDC executive director Nancy Gale recently received a commemorative plaque from the BC government congratulating them on 40 years of continuous service in child care. “You think about 40 years, and how many children have come through and been supported by the CDC. What we’ve been trying to do is bring the children out and make that connection with the community,” she stated.
“And this is one of our connections. It’s an opportunity for non-profits to work together. Things are tight with the economy now and it’s good to support each other.”
She explained that there is a minimum $5 bid on the art work.
“The first time we displayed the kids’ artwork in this show all the pictures sold, so we had to very quickly find more to sell - we wanted to make sure we had enough for both nights. The first time we did anything like this was when we kicked off Art Walk in the park with Willie Dye. As a result we decided we really needed to feature children’s art.”
Sara Betts is a CDC preschool teacher who helped organize the event. She said it’s great for kids to have this experience. “It’s amazing; they feel proud of what they’ve done and they get to bring their families and show their art and explain what they did,” she said, adding that the event was organized as a gala and that the kids were invited to get dressed up in their fancy clothes.
There were party dresses and tuxedos at the gala, and Betts explained that many parents were encouraged by their children to get dressed up, too.
“For the community to come here and see local children as artists shows how the children are expressing themselves,” she continued.
“They’ve made something that says something about who they are on the inside. The kids are so excited and happy about this.”