The Rogest Kids Gallery program
Designed to provide a learning environment that focuses on lifelong learning, relationships and respect for oneself and others. One of my initiatives is to bring the study and concepts of environmental education and visual art to life. Objectives To introduce students to the ecology of the world’s oceans and Art. This program allows me to engage the students in discussions of the habitat, species diversity and inter-relatedness as well as the aboriginal culture and art of Australia.

• Students will research a marine organism of their choice and with the assistance of myself during a full day and a half workshop; each student will create a painting of their chosen organism/critter in the Australian Aboriginal style of dot painting.
• These paintings, along with the student’s description of the organism and its habitat will then go on display for the community to view for a period of time.
• The aim is to then have local businesses and organizations bid on and purchase the art with the proceeds of these sales going to the environmental cause selected by the children.
• In the most recent workshop the Georgia Strait Alliance www.georgiastrait.org; a charitable, non-profit society formed to protect and restore the marine environment and promote the sustainability of Georgia Strait, its adjoining waters and communities was selected by the kids and teachers.
• Throughout this event, students will be learning about marine ecology, population diversity and some of the aboriginal traditions, beliefs and customs; acrylic painting skills and techniques as well as having the opportunity to donate funds from their own work to a local marine environmental society or cause.
• Through education and art I wish to engage the community for the betterment of the environment with think locally and act locally as our mission statement.
• We wish to celebrate the raising of these funds and the enjoyment of painting with the community at large.
• Key Sponsors will be needed for each workshop, in the case of our most recent workshop Opus www.opusframingandartsupplies.com was most generous , they are a keen advocate for the advancement of the visual arts in Western Canada (A very big thanks to Opus).
• Our most recent workshop was at the Queen Elizabeth School; It is a designated inner city school. 46 kids turned out 46 Rogest style paintings on 14x 8 canvases that can only be described as sensational.

All the art work had been displayed at the Vancouver Aquarium. The Paintings had then been sold with all the funds donated to www.georgiastrait.org
 

Please feel free tocontact me should you have any interest in putting together a Kids Gallery program.