In an effort to reach kids who do not usually have the opportunity to have high quality experiences in the arts, the Avenue Road Arts School has launched an outreach program. Under the auspices of the Ontario Arts Council and Arts for Children of Toronto, two of our teachers have been working with students from the Dennis Avenue School at Weston Road and Eglinton.

Preschool Coordinator Julie Frost will guide every class from the Dennis Avenue School in creating beautiful murals to decorate the halls of their school. Artist Sadko Hadzihasanovic worked intensively with a group of grades three, four and five students to develop futuristic self-portraits. Some of these portraits form part of a current Avenue Road Arts School exhibit at the CBC building entitled: What Children Dream Of. The show also features work by our own students and is curated by drawing, painting and mixed media teacher, Irene Luxbacher. The school's work in the inner city also extends to the Symes 55+ Centre, a senior citizen's drop-in centre at St. Clair and Jane. Working with an enthusiastic group of seniors, teachers Martha Johnson and Linda Prussick have created large scale mixed media works. These pieces will become part of an Avenue Road Arts School exhibit at BCE Place in March entitled: A Celebration of Lives Lived and Lives Dreamt Of, bringing together the work of seniors and children. It will be launched by an intergenerational choir, drawing members from both the Symes 55+ Centre and Dennis Avenue School, and will be directed by Fran Goldman. The show will be sponsored by Crayola of Canada, as well as other foundations and private donors.