T H E I B V I S U A L A R T S S H O W 2 0 1 3
By YURI S.
April 9, 2013
On the 5th of April, the annual IB Art Show was held in the ELAC Black Box Theatre at
Canadian Academy. Here, seniors of the class of 2013 displayed and presented their
own artwork. Both SL and HL students have expressed their creativity and worked
hard on the pieces for the show.
The Diploma Program's Visual Arts course enables students to engage in both
practical exploration and artistic production, and in independent contextual, visual and
critical investigation. The course is designed to enable students to study visual arts at
a higher level and also welcomes those students who seek life enrichment through
visual arts. There are 2 different levels in this course: Standard Level (SL) and
Higher Level (HL). All students are encouraged to develop their creative and critical
abilities and to enhance their knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts.
Ms. Derbyshire and Woo Jung helped us answer a few questions about the course and the art show.
Woo Jung K., IB Student (Grade 12):
• What does IB Art mean to you?
I think through IB Art, I got to know myself better. So I am thinking through what I create. It's a TOK sort of thing (Theory of Knowledge, which is
another part of IB) and basically, through art, I can learn more about myself.
• What is your favorite piece?
My favorite piece is the self-portrait I drew, which is the first piece I did this year. It is my favorite because I spent the most time on it out of all the pieces
I did. I think it portrays who I am the most.
• What were some difficulties you faced the most in this course?
I guess trying different medias; I tried a lot of new kinds of media I'd never used before, like wool painting, and trying new things was quite challenging.
Ms. Derbyshire, IB Art teacher:
• What does the IB Art Show mean to you?
It's the combination of two years of hard work for the seniors. It is very exciting to see it all come together over time – you watch the students as they
work on each piece and you don't get to see the complete product until the very last moment. Then, just putting it up on the day of the show and seeing
each student’s piece. Each student is so unique, and you see a different side to their personality, one you probably don't get to see in other subjects.
• What were some difficulties in making this art show successful?
The actual setting up part was great, because the students were able to help. However, we had mock exams and Spring Break right before the show,
so I had to put everything in frames myself for the students. It was a lot of manual labor and I stayed at school every day during the week before and
after Spring Break until about 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening. It took so much time because we wanted to make everything look great. Also, this is the first
year the IB has gone fully digital, so there's all this technology: we had to take photographs of each of the 12 pieces for each student. And we had to
pick out the best thirty pages from their work book, scan everything digitally to a certain size and send all of that to the IB. Another new aspect this year
is that we don't have an examiner coming in – I'll be the examiner. This means I have to film a half hour interview with every student and help to ensure
that each interview turns out looking great. Suffice to say, it's been a lot of work this year.
• How were the students this year?
The students this year worked harder than during their first year, and the second year is always really difficult. I always tell the juniors that they need to
get a lot of work done in junior year, because they really start obsessing about college in year two and it gets really distracting for them to be creative. If
they do not get their work done in art class, it is really hard for them to find the time to put a lot of effort into the pieces. That was a challenge for this
year’s IB students. However, in the end, they always seem to pull it off, which makes me very happy, but very stressed at the same time.
Canadian Academy. Here, seniors of the class of 2013 displayed and presented their
own artwork. Both SL and HL students have expressed their creativity and worked
hard on the pieces for the show.
The Diploma Program's Visual Arts course enables students to engage in both
practical exploration and artistic production, and in independent contextual, visual and
critical investigation. The course is designed to enable students to study visual arts at
a higher level and also welcomes those students who seek life enrichment through
visual arts. There are 2 different levels in this course: Standard Level (SL) and
Higher Level (HL). All students are encouraged to develop their creative and critical
abilities and to enhance their knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts.
Ms. Derbyshire and Woo Jung helped us answer a few questions about the course and the art show.
Woo Jung K., IB Student (Grade 12):
• What does IB Art mean to you?
I think through IB Art, I got to know myself better. So I am thinking through what I create. It's a TOK sort of thing (Theory of Knowledge, which is
another part of IB) and basically, through art, I can learn more about myself.
• What is your favorite piece?
My favorite piece is the self-portrait I drew, which is the first piece I did this year. It is my favorite because I spent the most time on it out of all the pieces
I did. I think it portrays who I am the most.
• What were some difficulties you faced the most in this course?
I guess trying different medias; I tried a lot of new kinds of media I'd never used before, like wool painting, and trying new things was quite challenging.
Ms. Derbyshire, IB Art teacher:
• What does the IB Art Show mean to you?
It's the combination of two years of hard work for the seniors. It is very exciting to see it all come together over time – you watch the students as they
work on each piece and you don't get to see the complete product until the very last moment. Then, just putting it up on the day of the show and seeing
each student’s piece. Each student is so unique, and you see a different side to their personality, one you probably don't get to see in other subjects.
• What were some difficulties in making this art show successful?
The actual setting up part was great, because the students were able to help. However, we had mock exams and Spring Break right before the show,
so I had to put everything in frames myself for the students. It was a lot of manual labor and I stayed at school every day during the week before and
after Spring Break until about 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening. It took so much time because we wanted to make everything look great. Also, this is the first
year the IB has gone fully digital, so there's all this technology: we had to take photographs of each of the 12 pieces for each student. And we had to
pick out the best thirty pages from their work book, scan everything digitally to a certain size and send all of that to the IB. Another new aspect this year
is that we don't have an examiner coming in – I'll be the examiner. This means I have to film a half hour interview with every student and help to ensure
that each interview turns out looking great. Suffice to say, it's been a lot of work this year.
• How were the students this year?
The students this year worked harder than during their first year, and the second year is always really difficult. I always tell the juniors that they need to
get a lot of work done in junior year, because they really start obsessing about college in year two and it gets really distracting for them to be creative. If
they do not get their work done in art class, it is really hard for them to find the time to put a lot of effort into the pieces. That was a challenge for this
year’s IB students. However, in the end, they always seem to pull it off, which makes me very happy, but very stressed at the same time.
This article hopes to help in understanding the depth and effort the teacher and students of Canadian Academy puts in their artwork and the show. To
the students, IB Visual Art seems to be more than just a course. It is more than studying about visual arts at a higher level during high school. It is
where students, like Woo Jung, are able to connect their emotional experience through visual art. Their inspiration for each piece often comes from
their heart: what they have thought of, their emotions, and their experiences in life. IB Visual Art allows students to connect with their souls and
emotions, and deliver their ideas through their creativity and imagination. If you get the opportunity to observe the work done by the IB students, I
recommend that you examine each piece carefully and think: What are they trying to express?
the students, IB Visual Art seems to be more than just a course. It is more than studying about visual arts at a higher level during high school. It is
where students, like Woo Jung, are able to connect their emotional experience through visual art. Their inspiration for each piece often comes from
their heart: what they have thought of, their emotions, and their experiences in life. IB Visual Art allows students to connect with their souls and
emotions, and deliver their ideas through their creativity and imagination. If you get the opportunity to observe the work done by the IB students, I
recommend that you examine each piece carefully and think: What are they trying to express?