Young artists prepared for the spotlight

A fine arts teacher eager to show off the talent of her students is giving the public two opportunities to view their progress this month. Oilfields High School’s Pam Pracic is hosting the Diamond Valley Film Festival June 7 at 7 p.m. featuring eight short films created by students in the junior high filmmaking course and the Visual Arts Student Exhibit Fine Arts Showcase featuring a variety of art projects in the school’s learning commons June 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. “I want the towns to see the talent we’ve got here and really offer those kids a chance to get some feedback outside of the classroom,” said Pracic. The fine arts showcase will reveal an array of artwork by more than 100 students in the advanced art student program, as well as projects in carpentry, textiles and photography, Pracic said. The students will talk about their work and what inspired it, she said. “I want the kids to have their own showcase that wasn’t tied into another event,” she said, adding the last art display took place during the Black and Gold Awards. “I feel like the arts sometimes get pushed to the backburner, especially when they get to high school. I really wanted to give the kids an opportunity, especially those who don’t flourish in core classes, to get visual recognition from both their peers and community. Often the arts can be undervalued.” Pracic said it’s an opportunity for students to shine and connect with the surrounding communities. “I really want to build a positive culture between the school and communities,” she said. “Art has that ability to cross culture and social boundaries and communicate different messages and understanding to the world around us.” Advanced art studio student Ashley Davis has a few pieces of art to showcase including acrylic paintings of a fox and a girl looking into the sunset, as well as pencil sketches. The Grade 12 student said she’s eager to show off her talent and express herself to more than just her peers and teachers. “I thought it was really cool because I get to show off my art and it shows what I’m capable of,” she said. “It shows my talent and it adds to my portfolio.” Davis said she enrolled in Pracic’s new program because she had already completed her Art 30 class and couldn’t imagine a semester without art. “I really like it because it just lets me push myself to my limits and better my knowledge of what I’m good at and what I need to better myself at,” she said. Davis was accepted into the University of Lethbridge’s media and management program and has aspirations to work on graphic design and animation. The Diamond Valley Film Festival showcases short films completed by students in the junior high filmmaking course Pracic piloted last year. “I showcased the films to the staff last year and got a lot of really good reviews,” she said. “They’ve worked really hard on these. Like any other visual art teacher I would like the kids to get some recognition for their work. In pairs or groups of three, the students created their own production company, logo and film using the school’s new camcorders. Pracic said they participated in a webinar with Reel Canada in April where they placed second in a trivia challenge, earning free movie passes, and completed a promotional video for a school event, filmed commercials and created public service announcements. Among the films that will be shown is a story about a virus outbreak, the second part in a trilogy mockumentary called The Life of a Teacher and a stop-motion Lego film, Pracic said. “It’s a whole variety of different short films,” she said. Grade 8 student Ryan Nielsen, who worked with a friend to create the mockumentary, looks forward to sharing his work with the public. “I’m a little nervous but pretty excited to have an audience,” he said. “Having an audience to show it to is nice. It lets you show what you’re doing.” Nielsen said they got the idea for the mockumentary after hearing their teacher rant about students asking for pencils and not turning in work on time. They followed two teachers around, using the school’s new camcorders, microphones and stabilizers. Screening of the film will take place over an hour in the drama room with a concession, intermission and prizes for best director, best picture and people’s choice. There will also be a raffle to win two free passes to Cineplex. Admission to attend the festival is $2.