Bridgewater High Students Discover Art, African Canadian History

While standing in the middle of her crowded classroom, Sandy Bergeron can't help but beam proudly at her students who are up to their elbows in glue, coloured paper and pastel crayons.

Mrs. Bergeron's African Canadian Studies class is at Bridgewater Junior/Senior High, the latest school to benefit from an ArtSmarts grant.

The ArtSmarts initiative couples one of the four arts education streams with a traditional subject. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, supported by the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs, funded the Bridgewater project.

"The kids are having so much fun," said Mrs. Bergeron. "Not only are they learning about African Canadian history, but they're applying what they've learned. So many have told me that they wish they could do this in every class."

Mrs. Bergeron's Grade 11 class is working with local Bridgewater African Nova Scotian artist Rebecca Fisk. Ms. Fisk, whose portfolio boasts introspective mixed-media collages, is equally thrilled by the students' eagerness.

"The students are discovering their artistic potential," said Ms. Fisk. "They're mixing textures and colours to come up with beautiful designs."

This is the first year African Canadian Studies has been offered at the school. It outlines the details of the slave trade, the American civil war and the arrival of people of African descent in Canada. To complement the course material, Ms. Fisk has asked the class to create paper replica freedom quilts. Quilts were made and exchanged by slaves in the late 19th century and often contained hidden instructions on how to escape to freedom.

Patterns like the Star and the Flying Geese told runaway slaves to head north to freedom by following the North Star or the migratory patterns of nearby geese.

"One group managed to replicate the most difficult design called Tumbling Blocks," said Ms. Fisk. "When I told the class this, they rushed over to that group's desks to ask them how they did it."

The Tumbling Blocks pattern is an intricate mix of three- dimensional blocks that signified it was time for the slaves to begin their journey.

"The students in this class are so engaged. I wish I could incorporate the arts into all of my classes," said Mrs. Bergeron. "The kids are absorbing the history. We're also reading The Book of Negroes to supplement the material and many of the students have already finished the novel and want to know what they can read next."

Mrs. Bergeron's class will host an exhibition of freedom quilts on Wednesday, April 22, in conjunction with provincial Education Week, in the Bridgewater Junior/Senior High library.

"Most of the class thought they wouldn't have the opportunity to have a piece of their own artwork displayed publically. They're very excited," said Ms. Fisk.