Duclos School has been keeping the arts alive at their school for just over a decade through their annual fundraising event.
“We have always done it as a celebration of art and emphasized the importance of fine arts in school,” explained school principal Richard Cameron. “We incorporate music, performance, celebrate the creativity and imagination of students, and share it with the parents because we believe that we have a role to our parent community.”
The Duclos Art Show included some of the works created by students based on this year’s theme: things with wings.
"Each student from each class had a theme that they followed that they were responsible for," Danielle Symon, Grade 2 teacher, said. "Each classroom was responsible for either doing a collaborative project, or handing in two pieces of framed art to be auctioned off."
Other items up for auction were donated by staff at the school.
“We frame the art that is for sale and we sell it on a silent auction where people can bid for one week. The piece of art goes to the highest bidder,” Cameron detailed.
The money raised from the event goes to different causes every year. In the past, they have used the funding for playgrounds and charitable donations to organizations.
Typically, the school raises about $1,500 through the event.
Cameron said this year, they selected the Duclos School food program as their cause.
"In our school we offer breakfast, a variety of snacks, or extra foods for kids’ lunches if they ever need," he explained. “We provide all those food programs for children in need and it’s for any child any day that they're short of some of the food that they need to get through the day happy and healthy.”
Depending on the project they took on, some classes started working on their artwork as early as September.
"We did it last week, but every class starts it at a different time," said Symon. "The students were very engaged and inspired to create a piece of art."
The event plays a crucial role in bringing out the students’ talents in variety of activities, whether it’s music, art, or games.
Cameron emphasized, “Student art is really amazing and truly a way of kids revealing something about themselves and something about their talents and creativity that may not come out in every day work."
