The Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG) is rolling out a series of online art activities for all ages, as well as an exciting contribution to Canada’s new digital visual arts platform.
FIELD TRIP
The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired a wealth of virtual arts content. FIELD TRIP: Art Across Canada<https://www.fieldtrip.art/> is a new platform that aims to bring the country’s best to people at home.

Everything featured on the site is being curated and promoted by a network of partners: major galleries and museums from every region of the country. This includes more than 20 of Canada’s leading arts organizations, including the CCAG (P.E.I.), the Rooms (Newfoundland), the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Contemporary Calgary.

Each day, a separate Canadian arts organization is posting a new submission on social media and FIELDTRIP.art<https://www.fieldtrip.art/>, presenting digital experiences that highlight the work of Canadian visual artists.

“The galleries are closed, but we still want to connect with our audience, both locally and nationally,” says Pan Wendt, curator at the CCAG. “At this critical moment FIELD TRIP represents a valuable initiative, promoting the visual arts in Canada and building upon our relationships with other art centres.”

The CCAG’s first monthly contribution will be featured online this Thursday, April 23. Wendt and Visual Arts Educator Evan Furness entered the darkened and empty halls of Confederation Centre (while following health and safety precautions) in order to share a virtual tour of exhibitions that would have been available to the public at this time. Through video, the pair explore the ways the Gallery’s permanent art collection is still an important, inspiring resource and a long-term responsibility, preserving the artistic heritage of Canada.

This unique tour video will be available April 23. Patrons can follow the Centre’s social media this week for more this week, or head to FIELDTRIP.art<https://www.fieldtrip.art/> for a full program overview.

Art Class from Home

Visual Arts Educator Evan Furness has also been developing a series of instructional activities. Art Class from Home<https://confederationcentre.com/arts-education/> presents a weekly activity inspired by artworks in the permanent collection. These activities are similar to those taught in the Gallery’s visual arts classes and can be completed with materials that people usually have in their homes.

The first one is entitled ‘Looking out my back door: Drawing with Positive and Negative Space’, inspired by P.E.I. artist Lindee Cilmo’s artwork Door. The work depicts various farm animals seeming to peer through the windows of an old wooden door.

“This effect is created by utilizing the door’s design in the painting’s composition,” explains Furness. “Using this artwork for inspiration, this activity challenges artists at home to create a drawing of the outdoors by looking through a window and playing with positive and negative space.”

The activities are intended for artists of all ages and skill types and are available as a PDF download on the Centre’s homepage.<https://confederationcentre.com/arts-education/> A video demo of this first activity is also <https://confederationcentre.com/art-class-from-home/> available online<https://confederationcentre.com/art-class-from-home/>.

Feedback and questions can be sent to Furness at efurness@confederationcentre.com<mailto:efurness@confederationcentre.com>.

PEI Professional Theatre Network