Students at Yellowquill School are making creativity the centerpiece of their education with the return of the school's annual art show, now expanded to include music and dance. This year's theme, "O Canada: A Creative Tribute," celebrates Canadian identity through vibrant visual arts and performances, all crafted by students from kindergarten to grade 8.
"We've been doing an art show annually for many years here at Yellowquill," said Carley Wood, a resource teacher at the school.
"This year, we're changing things up a little bit by adding in some music and dance, as they are also a part of the arts."
The school's hallways and multipurpose room are filled with a wide array of student-made works, including Canadian landscapes sculpted from clay, Indigenous-themed murals, and tributes to well-known Canadian staples.
Grade 8 student Miyah McCartney shared the inspiration behind her piece.
"I did like an old-school truck with a Manitoba license plate in a winter wonderland," she said. "My parents drive trucks like that, and we've always lived in Canada, so I thought that would be a cool Canadian piece."
The exhibit also features murals based on the Seven Sacred Teachings, a cornerstone of Indigenous culture. These pieces are being permanently displayed in the school's newly renovated multipurpose room.
Grade 7 student MaKayla Langner worked on a mural representing the bear, which symbolizes courage.
"We painted a bear which represents courage, and it just proves to me that since I helped paint it, that I should have courage to do more cool stuff," she said.
Eden Kehler, another Grade 7 student, painted a mural of the bison to represent respect.
"I feel like more kids will pay attention and try to understand what it means," Kehler said. "Kids now aren't really that respectful and they need to learn how to be more respectful—and all the other teachings are important too."
Wood emphasized the importance of the event not just as a display, but as a celebration of student growth and self-expression.
"This is really a time to shine for a lot of our students. It's just nice to see kids expressing themselves and being confident in their art."
The show highlights both the diverse cultural influences and the imagination of Yellowquill school's student body, offering a heartfelt tribute to what it means to be Canadian.