Trudy Flowers, an Inuit artist and teacher from Hopedale, has spent the last three weeks buzzing around St. Matthew’s School in St. John’s giving lessons to their students about her culture and teaching them new skills.
Flowers told CBC News she’s been teaching students from kindergarten to Grade 7, working mostly with sealskin.
“We’ve made some little Inuk dolls, we’ve make some ulus and inukshuks, and drums,” Flowers said.
It’s all happening because Laun Shoemaker, a teacher and librarian at the school, applied for a $7,000 grant from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, and because Carino Processing, a South Dildo seal oil and textile company, donated about a dozen sealskin pelts to the program.
“[I made] a shadow box, I think that’s what it’s called, and I used rabbit skin and seal fur,” said Grade 5 student Rosa Sequeira.
“We learned a lot about Labrador and her culture,” said Rosa.
Grade 6 student Chase O’Neill, who was learning how to sew a doll, is already applying the new skills Flowers taught him, but in a different way.
“I was outside playing and I scraped my knee and I had a hole in my pants and I was just like, ‘Get me a needle and thread and I’ll fix it,'” he said.
WATCH | Students share their art projects with the CBC’s Heather Gillis:
The art room at St. Matthew’s School in St. John’s is filling up with Inuk dolls, ulus, inukshuks and drums. Grade 6 students are working with Inuk artist Trudy Flowers on a project that blends art, craft and culture. Click to see what they’ve made.
Shoemaker said he’s pleased the students have connected with Flowers because it will make learning about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt day more impactful.
All of the art will be on display this week during parent-teacher interviews, and then the students can take their creations home.
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