Student Art Takes Centre Stage Across the District
Across the Abbotsford School District, students explored creativity, developing technical skills, and sharing their artistic voices through school-based art shows. From long-standing traditions to new and innovative exhibitions, these showcases offer students meaningful opportunities to present their work to an authentic audience.
A Long-Standing Art Legacy at Yale Secondary School
At Yale Secondary, the art show has been a cornerstone of the school’s creative culture for more than a decade. Held at the end of each school term or semester, the exhibition provides students with a natural milestone to reflect on their learning and showcase completed work.
The show typically features artwork from Grade 11 and 12 students, with many pieces forming part of students’ graduation portfolios. Students explore a wide range of artistic styles and approaches, including mixed media, montages, detailed pencil work, impressionism, surrealism, portraiture, and classic paintings reimagined with a modern twist.
These explorations encourage students to step outside familiar techniques, take creative risks, and develop their own artistic voice. Middle school students from W.A. Fraser Middle School are also welcomed to view the exhibition, giving younger learners early exposure to senior-level artwork and insight into future creative pathways.
This semi-annual tradition has been carried on for the past 13 to 14 years, with Mr. Wight, Fine Arts teacher at Yale Secondary, continuing the legacy by fostering an environment where students are encouraged to experiment, refine their skills, and take pride in their work.
Art Across Learning Spaces at Abbotsford Virtual School
This year marked a first for Abbotsford Virtual School, with students across all grade levels participating in a school-wide art show that highlighted creativity across virtual and hands-on learning environments. One of the favourite stations of the event is the community art project where guests, students, and staff could add their own creativity to some snowmen.
Elementary students created dioramas, exploring storytelling, spatial design, and tactile art-making. Middle school students completed artwork online using Sketchbook, a digital drawing application that supports illustration, layering, and creative experimentation in a virtual classroom setting. Secondary students also set up beautiful paintings at the school to help build a sense of community.
The art show also created opportunities for distance education students to submit and share their work, ensuring learners who may not attend in person were still able to participate. In addition, digital artwork from the Digital Media class was displayed, showcasing student learning in design, composition, and creative use of technology.
Together, these pieces reflected the diverse ways students at Abbotsford Virtual School engage with the arts, whether through physical materials, digital platforms, or remote learning spaces.
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