Valentine's Day In December: Bell's Art Café Recap

Bell’s third semiannual art showcase, Art Café, brought in crowds to the school last night, on December 14th. “The Valentine’s Day of December”, Art Café was a sweet hit. Grade 12 art students and volunteers decorated the area to give the essence of a Parisien café, with coffee, croissants, and sparkling juice being sold, plants and fairy lights scattered across the tables, and glorious artworks covering the walls. Tickets were all handmade by art students and Art Club members with watercolours and little love notes inside! Over 500 pieces were on display at Art Café, made by students ranging in grades 7-12, with grade 12 students exhibiting their entire portfolios and artists selling their incredible work in the Art Market. It was a night to remember: guests left wowed by the amazing visual arts at Bell High School!

Of course, the star of the showcase is always the Art Battle! Ten grade 11 students participated in the speed painting competition iconic to Bell’s art shows, hosted by none other than Allan André, 2016 Art Battle Canada National Champion. Each artist had 20 minutes to produce a painting which the audience voted on, sending winners onto the next round of painting to decide the final champion. Here’s what Catherine Burns, winner of the battle, has to say: “The art battle was a super amazing experience and the competition was tough. I was surprised about how nervous I was for the first round but my nerves definitely eased up during the second round!”

Every art showcase gets better and better, with greater attendance, niftier themes, and of course, more artwork! If you missed the Art Café, not to worry: there will be another exhibition in the spring, so stay tuned. You must attend an art showcase during your time at Bell and join in on the uprising tradition!