As part of a field trip organized by members of my cohort in my Career Education class, we went to downtown Prince George and visited a few local businesses including the Omineca Arts Centre.

Omineca Arts Centre provides a safe space for all types of artists to create. There is space to create, but also to share their art with the public in the form of themed exhibitions available as well as open mic nights for musicians. This was a very collaborative, interactive, and creative space offered to anyone to participate in whether they are creating or experiencing the various mediums being presented in the space.

Since becoming a teacher candidate, I often think about how I can take what I am learning and apply it to creating a learning experience. The director shared with us how they construct the exhibits and how most of the time anyone is able to submit their art creating a collaborative gallery amongst various artists.

In terms of applying this structure to an elementary school setting I think it would be interesting to curate a schoolwide gallery with different themes throughout the year. Once a school culture became more familiar with this event, one could start exploring students beginning to collaborate and curate different exhibits to display their creativity with the guidance of the teacher.

In reflecting on my elementary school experience, art and music was minimal in my school. Music is a passion of mine and something myself and my classmates could have benefited from if we had an outlet like that consistently. I think it is important to provide students with that mode of expression and way that they can share their creations with their community.