As arts creatives, we look for ways to collaborate with other artists and find opportunities to translate their narratives into glass. We have partnered with Unionville High School on several collaborative sculptural projects that have been displayed in interior and exterior public spaces.
If you are interested in having your school or organization participate in a collaborative partnership, contact Education Director, Melanie Kidd.
Glasstronomy Studios partnered with Unionville High School on a project inspired by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit creative expression. The project consisted of five sculptures, four carved wood and glass pieces representing the four elements: air, earth, fire, and water, and the central sculptural piece representing the unity of the four elements.
Participating students worked in Studio and at school to complete and assemble the sculptures that were displayed at the Aurora Cultural Centre.
Due North: Unpacking the Personal Narratives and Experience of English Language Learners, was a community partnership with Unionville High School and the Markham Museum as part of the Myseum: Intersections | Arrivals + Departures festival. Unionville High School’s English language learners were paired with Arts Unionville students to share their stories about arriving in Canada. Visual art students interpreted these narratives into fused glass and metal sculptures. Students spent time in Studio to plan and craft the glass elements. These pieces were mounted on metal stakes and displayed on the grounds of Markham Museum and later the Markham Civic Centre.
For more information on the project, see Building Community Through Authentic Art by Shane Clodd and Ann Y.K. Choi.
View the Project trailer
The Unionville House Project was a collaboration with Unionville High School students. An installation of stylized metal and glass condominium towers featured a view of different Unionville heritage buildings in the windows. The heritage buildings were created in fused glass by student artists based on their architectural drawings.
The installation, displayed at The Varley Gallery, was softened by a treescape of organic metal trees adorned with origami leaves made from copies of the students’ conceptual architectural source images and pencil drawing blueprints.
Heritage buildings featured in this installation included:
117 Main Street, 126 Main Street, 147 Main Street, 161 Main Street, Alex Russell House, 116 Main Street, Arch Tree House, 128 Main Street, Central United Church, 131 Main Street, Dr. Albert Pingle House, 121 Main Street, Evangelical Lutheran Parsonage, 109 Main Street, Hood House, 123 Main Street, Salem Eckardt House / McKay House, 197 Main Street, Stiver Bros. Mill, 9 Station Lane, The Doctor’s House / Old Country Inn, 198 Main Street, Unionville Presbyterian Church, 127 Main Street, William Eckardt House, 124 Main Street
Unionville High School
Student artists:
Katelyn Ahn, Tiana Aziz, Nicole Cao, Ansel Chak, Venness Chen, Ava Dedier, Vala Dekant, Gilanna Fogah, Lucy Gan, Amy Guo, Rex Hakimi, Emily Hu, Safa Jeewa, Chloe Jeng, Jolina Jiang, Evan Kiefer, Cadence Lai, Esther Lam, Kaila Lee, Alice Li, Ruby Li, Evelynn Lu, Evelyn Mak, Amrra Mengistu, Tiffany Mou, Averie Ni, Jehanne Ou, Gloria Qian, Jo Qiao, Vincent Quan, Shreya Sarkar, Chelsea Shi, Audrey Song, Rheese Soriano, Victoria Sun, Laura Tian, Kathy Tsang, Georgina Tu, Nichole Wan, Esther Wang, Avery Wong, Sophie Yang, Annie Ye, Yixuan Si, Mia Yue, Florence Yan, Jamie Zhang, Tiffany Zhang
Teachers:
Wendy Gardham, Rebekah Joo
Glasstronomy Studios
Elizabeth Beecham, Andrew Kidd, Melanie Kidd, Millean Kung
For more information on the project, see Welcome to the neighbourhood!
