Expressions 44 is our annual exhibition of student artwork that celebrates the next generation of creativity in Waterloo Region. Artworks made by students in Junior Kindergarten through to Grade 12 are shown alongside works from the Gallery’s Permanent Collection, highlighting the way art expresses ideas of past, present and future. This year’s theme, “Creative Communities,” was inspired by the Grade 1 and 2 students of Vista Hills Public School and their piece, Fruit Bowl, which embodies the act of working together through creative collaboration. Our interactions with each other and our shared surroundings shape our capacity to imagine new perspectives. From explorations on a global scale down to the minute workings of microscopic organisms, the works in Expressions 44 reveal the creative communities that surround us every day.
Expressions 44 acknowledges the significant contributions of teachers in Waterloo Region who nurture their own creative communities within their classrooms, cultivating curiosity and inspiring critical thinking in their students. This exhibition would not be possible without our long-standing partnerships with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and the Waterloo Region District School Board, and it is with deep gratitude and respect that we acknowledge their invaluable contributions to our community.