WAG Art Beat 2020 Virtual Exhibition
ART BEAT: The Ripple Effect 2020 Virtual Exhibition
ART BEAT: The Ripple Effect is a hands-on, process-oriented mentorship program and exhibition, offered in partnership with Oxford County school boards. The project encourages art appreciation, self-expression and cross curricular problem-solving skills. Together, professional artists and students critically reflect upon topical issues influencing their lives, relationships and experiences.
Teachers in Oxford County apply to be a part of this project. Two classes, a junior and a senior class are randomly selected from the entries to receive a series of in-class, hands-on workshops. Students learn the elements and principles of design, explore new ideas and are enriched by the experience of working alongside a professional artist.
This year’s junior class was Mme. Pilon’s Grade 7 class from Roch Carrier French Immersion Public School in Woodstock. A continuing patterned block relief printmaking project was developed with London fibre artist Paulina Szczesny. Ms. Johnston’s Grade 12 class at St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Woodstock represented the senior category and worked with London printmaking artist Jessica Woodward, who facilitated a collaborative surrealism block relief printmaking project.
As always, the project becomes as much about the personal growth of the young artists and their mentors as the final artworks created. Students are empowered to share their thoughts, creative process, and achievements with viewers of the exhibit.
Exhibition Gallery
Click on the images below to explore each section of the exhibition.
Exhibition Credits
Coordinator: Stephanie Porter, Head of Education
Artists: Paulina Szczesny and Jessica Woodward
Designer: Kristina Nordstrom
About the Artists
Paulina Szczesny
Paulina Szczesny works as a professional artist teaching dyeing workshops. She enjoys working with repeating patterns, silk screen printing and wood block printing, and specializes in natural dyes. As a printmaker, her work is expressive in mark making and experimental. Intrigued by pattern making, concepts of time and space lead her to explore different techniques and compositions of line work.
Paulina was born in Pasłek, Poland in 1986 and immigrated to Canada in 1989. Paulina is currently living in London, Ontario, where she sits on the board of Directors of Forest City Gallery as Co-Fundraising Chair. From 2015-2019 Paulina sat on the steering committee for Print London as Media and Fundraising Chair. She received her Bachelors of Fine (BFA) with a major in textiles from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2011.
Jessica Woodward
Jessica Woodward is an artist from London, Ontario. She has been printmaking for over 20 years, and is a graduate of Beal Art and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. After graduating from university, Jessica moved home to London where she opened Pretty in Ink, a printmaking studio and gallery that operated in downtown London. Jessica has since worked as a printmaking technician at Fanshawe College and currently at Western University.
Jessica has exhibited her art widely throughout Canada and her main passion lies with her business, Shark Bite Ink, where she creates original lino cuts and silkscreen prints, shirts, totes and cards with imagery inspired by nature, patterns, the passing of time, and life and death. You can also find her art decorating the Palasad South and the Palasad Social Bowl, several local business and band logos, and in the LCBO on Toboggan Brewery’s Lunatic Fridge beer.
