Artists for Kids & Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art

A grade 5 class at Highlands Elementary School in the North Vancouver School District created this group drawing as part of our adapted, virtual gallery program. Inspired by artworks in the gallery's current "Play" exhibition, each student contributed their own bird drawing to this collaborative activity.

Remembering our dear friend Gordon today... #GordonSmith passed away on this day last year, at the age of 100. Gordon's remarkable legacy as a profound artist and a beloved educator lives on, and continues to support arts education for youth through Artists for Kids, The Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art, and The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists. North Vancouver School District... Photo by Warren Goodman

#RobertBateman was born in 1930 in North Toronto, Ontario. As a teen, he worked in a wildlife research camp in Algonquin Park, which reinforced his love of the wilderness and naturalist study. Bateman has become renowned for his realistic and evocative depictions of wildlife. In 1984, he was named an officer of the Order of Canada for his outstanding contributions to Canadian culture. "Great Blue Heron" (1991) is a five-colour lithograph print that demonstrates Bateman's deep appreciation for nature. Find this #AFKArtistEdition, and others, in our virtual print shop: http://ow.ly/w5uQ50D5BQh! North Vancouver School District

#AFKArtReach returns for the seventh week with a cartography-based drawing and painting activity inspired by the artwork of #LandonMackenzie. In this video, North Vancouver School District Visual Arts teacher Amelia Epp shares ideas for creating map tiles by drawing and painting with watercolours. Students can join their own map tiles with those of their classmates to create a large collaborative map representing unique points of view. We're wondering... How can we represent ...our own perspectives of an experience or place through drawing? How can trying to understand other people's perspectives help us to respond with respect and thoughtfulness? The accompanying teaching resource for this week's video can be found on our website. AFK ArtReach videos will be posted to our website every two weeks throughout the school year. Explore them all here: http://ow.ly/coHI50D5MW4! We love seeing your work! Send your artwork to [email protected] to have it featured on our website, or share it on social media using the hashtag #AFKArtReach.

Montreal-born artist #JeanMcEwen (1923 - 1999) was a pioneer of the North American modernist art movement. He explored non-figurative colour and space relationships through his abstract paintings for more than 40 years. The #etching "Ni Plus, Ni Moins" (1994), which translates to 'Not More, Not Less,' is the artist’s first venture into #printmaking. This title references the artist's desire to push the composition as far as it would go. The image's cellular forms, framing verticals, rich texture, and contrasting colours create a harmonious tension. To view this #AFKArtistEdition, and to browse other limited edition prints, visit our print shop: http://ow.ly/sozK50D5z75! All proceeds from print sales support AFK's educational objectives and programs. North Vancouver School District

Congratulations to artist #JohnHartman, who was appointed to the Order of Canada on Dec. 30, 2020. Hartman’s appointment is in recognition of enriching Canadian contemporary art by bringing landscapes and cityscapes to life on printing plates, canvas and paper, according to the website of the Gov. General of Canada. AFK is honoured to have worked with John Hartman; he generously provided a printmaking workshop to students here in North Vancouver in 2012. Pictured is the B.A....T. proof for Hartman's #AFKArtistEdition "Vancouver" (2011) being pulled at the elite Burnet Editions print studio in New York City. B.A.T. is short for Bon à Tirer, which literally means "ready to pull." The B.A.T. is the final trial proof, approved by the artist, which tells the printer exactly how the edition should look. Each impression in the edition is matched to, or modeled after, the B.A.T. This proof is used when someone other than the artist is printing the series. Master Printer Gregory Burnet established Burnet Editions in 1991. The studio specializes in printing and publishing limited edition etchings and engravings. Since its inception, the studio has worked with both emerging and established American and International Artists. To view this #AFKArtistEdition, and to browse others, visit our print shop: http://ow.ly/KKgg50D0LpU North Vancouver School District

Welcome back! We hope everyone had a safe, restful and festive winter break. On behalf of the team here at AFK, we want wish all staff, students and parents in the North Vancouver School District a happy and healthy return to school this term! Our virtual After School Art Programs begin next week! There is still space available in the following courses: Mixed Media Drawing Lab (Ages 8-10), Adventures in Drawing Animals & Creatures (Ages 12-14), Drawing and Sculpting Cities (Ages 10-12), and Mixed Media Illustration (Ages 10-12). For more information and to register, call our office at 604-903-3798, or visit our website: http://ow.ly/gjO150CNqNK.

Our Winter Holiday Print Sale is on until December 18 at 12:00 PST! We're offering a 10% discount on ALL of our #AFKArtistEditions, and a 15% discount on a collection of 6 curated print sets. These curated portfolios are perfect for those looking to start or grow their collections with limited edition fine art prints by some of Canada’s most renowned artists. Visit our virtual print shop here: http://ow.ly/oL0W50CATQF! Please call our office at 604-903-3798 to purchase. ... All prints are published exclusively through AFK in partnership with Canadian artists, in support of students, their art education, and their future. Print sale proceeds go directly towards funding programs, art camps, workshops, artists in residence, and future acquisitions. Curated Print Portfolio: PLACE John Hartman "Vancouver" (2011) Karin Bubas Late Winter, Lynn Creek (2010)

Artists for Kids would like to express our gratitude for the success of our Winter Holiday Print Sale! We are incredibly grateful to our community for their continued generosity to our programming. Your donations help make quality art education accessible to all, and ensure that we can continue creating life changing opportunities for children and youth. On behalf of our team here at AFK, we hope that you and your loved ones find brightness, joy, and peace during the holiday season, and through the coming year. Our office will be closed until January 4th.

On Friday, students at Cove Cliff Elementary enjoyed some outdoor artmaking with North Vancouver School District Visual Arts teacher Amelia Epp!

This season, consider giving the gift of art. Our Winter Holiday Print Sale ends tomorrow at 12:00 PST! Proceeds from the sale of every AFK Limited Edition Print go directly toward supporting the next generation of artists. We're offering a 10% discount on ALL of our #AFKArtistEditions, and a 15% discount on a collection of 6 curated print sets. These curated portfolios are perfect for those looking to start or grow their collections with limited edition fine art prints by so...me of Canada’s most renowned artists. Visit our virtual print shop here: http://ow.ly/oL0W50CATQF! Please call our office at 604-903-3798 to purchase. All prints are published exclusively through AFK in partnership with Canadian artists, in support of students, their art education, and their future. Print sale proceeds go directly towards funding programs, art camps, workshops, artists in residence, and future acquisitions. Curated Print Portfolio: LANDSCAPE Alan Wood "Beach Walk" (1992) Ted Harrison "Paradise Visions" (2010) Arnold Shives "Elton Lake" (2003)

Artists for Kids & Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art has launched its Winter Holiday Sale, today, #GivingTuesday. Until December 18, Artists for Kids will be... offering a 10% discount on all limited edition prints and 15% off curated print sets. AFK provides classes, bursaries and other arts opportunities for students: bit.ly/3qgRUo7. Do you recognize the scene depicted in this painting a beloved place to so many NVSD students, past and present?

#AFKArtReach returns for the fourth week with a drawing-based learning activity inspired by the artwork of Ann Kipling. In this video, North Vancouver School District Visual Arts teacher Amelia Epp shares ideas for listening with attention and drawing what you hear. We're wondering... How can we represent what we hear in a drawing? Why is it important to listen with attention? AFK ArtReach videos will be posted to our website every two weeks throughout the school year. Explor...e them all here: http://ow.ly/xLCR50CfXpq We love seeing your work! Send your artwork to [email protected] to have it featured on our website, or share it on social media using the hashtag #AFKArtReach.

In the spirit of GivingTuesday, we want to give too. Beginning today, December 1, until December 18 at 12:00 PST, we are offering a 10% discount on ALL of our AFK Limited Edition Prints. Additionally, we will be offering a 15% discount on select groupings of prints, purchased together as a suite. These curated print portfolios are perfect for those looking to start or grow their collections with limited edition fine art prints by some of Canada’s most renowned artists. Visit ...our virtual print shop to browse our AFK Artist Editions, including a collection of 6 curated print sets: http://ow.ly/gZY550CyKYG. To purchase, please call our office at 604-903-3798. All prints are published exclusively through AFK in partnership with Canadian artists, in support of students, their art education, and their future. Print sale proceeds go directly towards funding programs, art camps, workshops, artists in residence, and future acquisitions. Curated Print Portfolio: COURAGE Kenojuak Ashevak "Loons Feeding" (1994) Gathie Falk "North Shore Roses" (1992)

Artists for Kids & Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art will offer after-school (virtual) art classes including cartooning and illustration, and drawing a...nimals & creatures starting the week of January 11, 2021. Art supplies are included in the registration cost. More information is available here: bit.ly/3oJTLjR.

#AFKArtReach returns for the fifth week with a text-based drawing activity inspired by the artwork of Graham Gillmore. In this video, North Vancouver School District Visual Arts teacher Amelia Epp shares a collaborative game for collecting "found" words and a process for creating a mixed media drawing. We're wondering... How can we transform "found" words and phrases into an original text? AFK ArtReach videos will be posted to our website every two weeks throughout the school... year. Explore them all here: http://ow.ly/H1Pa50CuZhI! We love seeing your work! Send your artwork to [email protected] to have it featured on our website, or share it on social media using the hashtag #AFKArtReach.

We can feel the winter weather coming! Today we're sharing this #AFKArtistEdition by Arnold Shives Studio entitled "Elton Lake" (2003), edition of 55. This wintery linocut print beautifully captures the mountainous landscape of Elton Lake here in British Columbia. To view this print, and to browse others, visit http://ow.ly/cZm750CfORY. All proceeds from print sales support AFK's educational objectives and programs.

Born in 1913, John Koerner grew up on the outskirts of Prague in a family that controlled a major lumber business. After studying law and art in Prague and Paris, his family began to suspect their business would not be immune from the rising threat from Adolf Hitler in the late 1930s, so they bought a mill in New Westminster. He began painting full time in 1950, while teaching art, first at the Vancouver School of Art and then UBC. His legacy is the extraordinary measure of ...artwork he created over his lifetime, collections which adorn galleries around the world, including The Vancouver Art Gallery, Tate Gallery in London and the National Gallery in Ottawa. Koerner's "The Lighthouse (134)" (2012) is an #AFKArtistEdition available through our print shop. View this limited edition etching, and other prints, here: http://ow.ly/g1cu50C5xUK! All proceeds from print sales support AFK's educational objectives and programs. North Vancouver School District

Today we're sharing some fall #EarthArt, courtesy of North Vancouver School District Visual Arts Teacher Amelia Epp, from one of her Outdoor Play Outreach lessons!

#AFKArtReach returns for the third week with a collage-based learning activity featuring the artwork of Anna Binta Diallo and David Blackwood. In this video, North Vancouver School District Visual Arts Teacher Amelia Epp shares ideas for making and playing with stencils, working with found imagery, and storytelling. We're wondering... How can we tell stories by collecting and playing with images?... AFK ArtReach videos will be posted to our website every two weeks throughout the school year. Explore them all here: http://ow.ly/UUmR50C5t1g! We love seeing your work! Send your artwork to [email protected] to have it featured on our website, or share it on social media using the hashtag #AFKArtReach.