The hallways of Lena Shaw Elementary were painted in creativity for all to see on May 6.
Lena Shaw transformed their school into a huge art gallery earlier this month as families gathered to take in the work these students put into this year-end school-wide initiative.
The art event, also known as the Art Crawl, celebrated its fourth year on May 6 and featured artwork from every class in the school, including students in the Just B4 program and non-enrolling classrooms.
Organizers described this event as a full-school celebration of artistic expression and community connection.
“This is a celebration of student creativity that gives learners a meaningful space to showcase their artwork and artistic growth,” said Grade 2 teacher Ashley McPherson, who helps organize the event alongside learning support teacher Myriah Purss.
Purss and McPherson explained to Peace Arch News that the Art Crawl was created after staff noticed families were less likely to come into the school unless there was a special event or activity taking place.
Purss and McPherson share that what began as a way to connect family with classrooms has since become one of Lena Shaw’s most anticipated traditions, for both students and teachers alike.
This year’s event also included the school’s modular classrooms, which Purss said was especially important as Lena Shaw’s student population continues to grow.
“The modular building has eight classes out there, and they sometimes get overlooked,” explained Purss.
Purss and McPherson shared, however, that this year the school implemented a way to get those modular classrooms the attention they also deserve.
Families had the chance to participate in a school-wide “crack the code” scavenger hunt where visitors searched displays for hidden letters that eventually revealed a phrase.
“This really entices people to come in and make sure that everyone goes to every display and sees all the art,” explained McPherson.
“So this was an opportunity to get parents out there and see the modulars, too,” said Purss.
Purss shared that the challenge generated more than 100 entries and added another layer of excitement throughout the event.
Purss and McPherson noted that one of the most meaningful aspects of the event is its open-ended approach to creativity.
“We really like to keep it open-ended just to see what people come up with,” said Purss.
While there was no official theme, Purss shared that many projects naturally reflected springtime and seasonal change. McPherson said that some classes even tied their projects directly into the classroom’s curriculum or taught identity-based learning.
One example included Ms. Natura’s Grade 3 class, which created still life artwork inspired by a Filipino dessert connected to the teacher’s heritage. Students also learned about the cultural significance behind the piece.
Another standout for McPherson and Purss was larger-scale paper art installation created by Mr. Sagun’s Grade 5 class.
“The amount of focus, time and precision it would take to put those things together and fold them in a specific way, it blows you away,” said McPherson.
Purss added that staff later learned Sagun previously taught arts and crafts at a college level to adults. “Every year we learn something new about our colleagues through the work they guide their students to create,” she said.
The Art Crawl also featured some collaborations with outside artists.
McPherson’s Grade 2 class collaborated with local Coast Salish artist Alysha Collie, who worked with students on traditional shapes and stamp-making techniques using hand-carved stamps.
McPherson and Purss both believe that this event goes beyond simply displaying artwork.
“I think it’s so cool to see kids that are not pen-to-paper kids that are using art as a way to show their understanding of curricular content,” McPherson shared, believing she got to see a different side of some of her students.
Purss, who works closely with students receiving learning support, said seeing students proudly share their work with family members is one of the most rewarding parts of the event.
“I get emotional about it, just seeing everybody in the hallways and seeing that excitement,” she said. “Art is therapeutic.”
McPherson shared that she hopes students at Lena Shaw leave these Art Crawl events understanding that creativity can be both personal and powerful.
“Art can look different for everybody and it’s not about perfection, it’s about enjoying the imperfections of something that creatively stands out,” she said.
Purss and McPherson are confident that this annual event will only continue to grow and blossom new types of art every year.
See more photos of this year’s Art Crawl event on the schools Instagram page at Lenashawelementary.