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Artist in residence arrives at Kingsway

Teaching the art of painting birch bark trees helps expand the minds of Grade 7 students at a south-side Thunder Bay school.

THUNDER BAY – Kendra Desaulniers was indifferent to painting for most of her 12 short years.

A Grade 7 student at Kingsway Park Public School, Kendra took a passing interest in her artistic side, not all that enthused by the idea of putting brush to paper.

Then Deena Kruger came along.

A local artist with a passion for birch trees, Kruger is spending time this spring as the artist-in-residence at the south-side school, teaching children different techniques, using pallet knives and canvas to capture the beauty of the world around them.

“Normally I don’t really like to paint, but now that she’s showed us how to and all the different techniques there are, other than just a paint brush and paper like I’d normally do, I’m kind of liking this technique,” she said on Thursday.

It’s important to have art in the classroom, the youngster said. It can’t all be math books and spelling tests.

“We get to try new things that normally we don’t do every day,” Kendra said. “We’re learning new stuff.”

Classmate Dorian Chum, 13, thinks it’s pretty cool to have an professional artist volunteering her time in the classroom.

“I like how she shows us how she paints her birch trees and the background and her design,” Dorian said.

While art may not be for everyone, for some it could become a career one day. Why not learn about it as a teen, he said.

“It could be our future, our jobs, like artists, anything,” Dorian said.

Kruger, who will be opening The Creative Gallery in the Bay and Algoma District later this year, has been exploring her own artistic side through painting for most of her adult life.

She joined the school this week as part of Kingsway’s Fine Arts Academy, a program that has introduced students to a variety of different activities, including lacrosse and birch-bark canoe construction.

Kruger said learning about art is an important part of their development.

“Those kids then grow up to be kids like me, who open art galleries and do things in the community. We get to bring people together to express their creativity and being able to express that is just so important,” she said.

The talent level is mixed, Kruger said.

But regardless of artistic talent, each student gives their all in the classroom.

“The whole idea is just to have an open mindset and kind of try it anyway, whether you like it or not. And you never know, you might like it if you try it,” Kruger said.

Other artists who have taken part in the artist-in-residency program at Kingsway include George Price, who was in the classroom prior to March Break.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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