Art from some of ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 smallest residents is being shown in the big city.

Ceramic tiles depicting the natural surroundings of the West Shore, lovingly created by students at Colwood elementary, are part of a summer-long exhibit in a Vancouver art gallery.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just so exciting that other people who arenB次元官网网址檛 in this little neighbourhood are going to see the art that the kids made,B次元官网网址� said Ren茅e Sala, director of Crafty School of Art, which facilitated the project here. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an honour to have it chosen like that.B次元官网网址�

Sala runs art programs in her studio and in schools around Greater Victoria, including a number on the West Shore. The ceramic tiles project is a common one for her to work on with classes. Once painted, the tiles will be collected to make a decorative feature for the school.

Colwood elementaryB次元官网网址檚 project saw every student in the school, and many staff, create a tile for a planter box to be built at the school.

Sala gave the students a theme of their local environment B次元官网网址� the natural features of the community which are important to them. They were taught the basics of working with clay and given free artistic licence to create whatever they wished within the parameters of the theme.

B次元官网网址淚 just thought of looking over the ocean and seeing the mountains,B次元官网网址� said Grade 5 student Payton Douglass. B次元官网网址淚 like being able to do what you want with (clay), like designing it yourself.B次元官网网址�

As a whole, the studentB次元官网网址檚 tile project is called Building Community Through Clay.

The project is funded by ArtStarts, a non-profit organization offering grants to promote arts programs for young people. Twice a year ArtStarts hosts an exhibit in Vancouver featuring some of the best work created through the program for the year.

The 2014 theme for the show is Timescapes, focusing on local connections and natural indicators of time. ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 focus was deemed a perfect fit and the organization requested that 60 of the studentB次元官网网址檚 tiles be sent over for inclusion in the show.

B次元官网网址淚 picked the ones that were not all maybe the most beautiful, but the ones that stuck to the theme,B次元官网网址� Sala said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so excited, I was really surprised.B次元官网网址�

Once all the tiles have been returned after the show ends, Sala will incorporate them into four walls for the planter, which will be installed near the schoolB次元官网网址檚 playground on Wishart Road.

The work is displayed at the ArtStarts Gallery, 808 Richards St. in Vancouver, until Aug. 30.

kwells@goldstreamgazette.com