We've always said that children's art deserves to be seen. The Coordinator of the CBC Museum agrees. Faye Blum has invited the young students of the Avenue Road Arts School to adorn the walls opposite the Museum, with their creations.

The exhibit will change periodically but each installation will follow a theme: the first motif is 'the portrait.' Some of the remarkable work from our Metro Hall show, Walking in the Shoes of the Masters: Children Look at Art Through Time will be presented. The response to that display was so enthusiastic that it was remounted at BCE Place. And soon some of the pieces will be travelling to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

The focus of the CBC Museum's current exhibition Show & Tell: Growing up Canadian is on CBC programs created for children. "Having a complementary exhibit installed by the Avenue Road Arts School is a wonderful opportunity to present works of art created by children. I have long been impressed with the school's installations in public spaces. I think the quality, vitality and obvious enthusiasm embodied in these works are inspiring and will be enjoyed by the numerous visitors to the Broadcasting Centre," says Faye Blum. For those attending the 'openings' of these exhibits, special tours of the museum will be arranged.

A further collaboration with the CBC took place on Friday, December 8, when teachers from the Avenue Road Arts School supervised an art table at the CBC Open House Day. Children made holiday crafts and ornaments with materials generously donated by Crayola of Canada.

The CBC Museum is located at 250 Front Street and is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday 12 pm to 4 pm.

Volunteer Committee Needed to Work with Hospitals and Social Agencies

Beginning in January, the Avenue Road Arts School will initiate a program to bring high quality art to hospitals and social agencies in Toronto at a reasonable cost. The idea is the brainchild of Botanical Watercolour student, Jan Mok. Jan is an interior design consultant for hospitals and knows that hospital budgets seldom allow for the purchase of fine art for their facilities. Under this program, students will sell, at a modest price, or donate their work to the hospital and have the satisfaction of knowing that they are bringing pleasure to patients who would certainly appreciate having something beautiful to look at. For many students, this will be their first sale, hopefully the first of many.

The school has, in the past, provided children's artwork to the Scarborough branch of the Children's Aid Society. In the coming weeks, pieces from the Millennium show will be donated to a number of social agencies serving the needs of children in Toronto.

If you have a connection with a hospital or social agency and would like to participate in this project, please call Lola Rasminsky at (416) 961-1502. The first meeting will take place at the school on Thursday January 18 at 8:00 pm.