Annual High School Art Show return to college gallery

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on February 6, 2025.

Beginning next week, the artistic talents of local high school students will be on display at the Medicine Hat College One on One Gallery as the college collaborates with local students to host its annual High School Art Show.

Work chosen by teachers at Crescent Heights, Eagle Butte, Medicine Hat and Monsignor McCoy high schools will be professionally showcased and the exhibition will include a variety of mediums, ranging from fine art, digital art, videography and animation, and promises to “present a broad range of technique.”

“The teachers are really thoughtful about what they’re doing with their students,” says Jessica Plattner, program co-ordinator and instructor for the college’s art and design program. “They’re dealing with elements and principles of art and design and really trying to teach kids the rooks of seeing and representing the world.”

For students, the annual show provides an outlet to display work in a professional context and an opportunity to present their work in a reception setting.

“Seeing your work on a clean white wall helps you see it more objectively,” says Plattner, who explains artists can tend to get lost in a train of thought while working up close on their art. “Just stepping back makes a big difference, you see it differently.”

The collaboration also gives college instructors insights on what art techniques and mediums students have already learned prior to enrolling in post-secondary programs.

“I love getting to know the high school teachers better and learning about what they do in their classrooms, because a lot of our students come from these high schools, so it gives us a good understanding of their background,” says Plattner.

The High School Art Show runs from Feb. 11-27 in the One on One Gallery, and will be open to the public during operation hours.

Students and teachers will also attend a reception on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. Student awards will be announced at the event and there will be opportunities for prospective art and design students to get to know MHC faculty.

Black History Month pop-up at library

Throughout February the Medicine Hat College library will offer suggested reading to celebrate the past and present contribution and accomplishment of Black people in Canada.

This year’s theme is “Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations.” MHC has set up a book display in the library, as well as a pop-up library at the Student Association.

Online students can access a selection of books or videos, including ‘In the Black: My Life’ by D Denham Jolly, and ‘Making history: visual arts & Blackness in Canada,’ co edited by Julie Crooks, Dominique Fontaine and Silvia Forni.

To easily access education materials visit the Medicine Hat College Facebook page and follow the links.