Uncomfortable in art galleries? Confed Centre aims to change that

The art gallery at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown wants to help P.E.I. children get comfortable with art through fun activities this winter.

The gallery's free Family Sundays program kicks off Jan. 27 and will be in both French and English. It will run once a month through April. 

"The idea is to encourage families, and all ages really ... to see the centre as their space," said Kate Sharpley, visual arts educator at the centre, in an interview with CBC Radio: Mainstreet's Angela Walker. 

'Seems a shame'

Some people feel a little intimidated in the hushed atmosphere of an art gallery, Sharpley notes, perhaps because it was a place they didn't visit as a child.

"We have such a fantastic resource here in the art gallery in Charlottetown and it just seems a shame that people don't use it more, because we have amazing artists on display," Sharpley said.  

There are two parts to Family Sundays, she said — the first is a scavenger hunt in which the kids look at the art.

You never know where these ripples go.— Kate Sharpley

"It's like an I Spy, almost, of art, so they find little clues in the scavenger booklet then they have to find it in the artwork," she explained. "The idea behind that is to encourage them to really look and spend some time looking at the art." 

Parents are encouraged to work in teams with their children and discuss the art as they look at it.

"It's about sparking conversations and making memories together," she said. 

"It just makes me so happy — I love art and I really want to share that passion with other people, and I love seeing the kids really excited when they find stuff — they're so proud of themselves."  

'Extra-fun experience'

Then families do a different art-based activity based on the exhibition at the time, and enjoy a snack. 

Volunteers ensure the program is delivered to anyone who speaks French or wishes to practise their French, Sharpley said. 

The artwork in the three-storey gallery changes every three to six months with different exhibitions, she said, "so there's always something different to see." 

This Sunday's activity will be based around the work of Halifax artist Mitchell Wiebe's exhibit called Vampsites. It includes a black-light gallery, so participants who wear light-coloured clothing can have an "extra-fun experience," Sharpley said. "It's something different ... something worth exploring." 

Sharpley hopes Family Sundays may encourage more people to make art part of their future. 

"You never know where these ripples go," Sharpley said. "You're planting a seed of inspiration and showing people art can be made so many different ways."

There is no registration — families can drop in to the gallery between 1:30 and 3 p.m. and there's lots of space for everyone, she said.

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