Pine Street Grade 6 students and visiting artist-in-residence Keith Nolan to create the 42-inch by 56-inch oil painting of a bear in the woodlands.
The idea to collaborate with Indigenous artists was raised by a teacher a few years ago and the idea has continued on at the school ever since.
“We did the Project of Heart before, which had each student decorate a little tile that became part of a bigger picture. A painting of a buffalo was done and the tiles were put on top of the painting in the shape of a heart to symbolize building the community,” explained Shelby Hines, Pine Street Elementary principal. “We just wanted to keep that going this year and our First Nation, Metis, Inuit Committee wanted to have an Indigenous artist come into the school this time and they wanted it to be someone local to share their story with students and build a community with the artist.”
Nolan is an award-winning Ojibwa Cree artist from Missanabie Cree First Nation in northern Ontario, but he has worked and lived in Alberta for 20 years.
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