BRAMPTON, ON. (Aug. 1, 2008) – The Peel Heritage Complex (PHC) is proud to showcase Art Exchange: The 2,400 km Painting as part of the Inuit art exhibition, Arctic Zoo. Students from Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School, Caledon, ON, and Kiilinik High School Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, located 2,400 km apart from each other, spent several months  

co-creating two murals, one depicting a fantastic animal and the other an ‘artistic dialogue.’  Admission to the PHC is free throughout August

The painting is part of a social experiment modeled after the Surrealist parlour game, Exquisite Corpse – a collaborative art form in which an assortment of words or images are assembled. The end result shows how perception can differ from person to person and yet still create a work of art.

The students took turns adding to the mural and never saw what the other school had created until the painting was complete. Students were encouraged to explore their creative sides, keeping style, media and technique in mind.  

“In the beginning, we wondered what similarities or differences would emerge between these two groups of Canadian teens, living on opposite ends of the country,” says Alicia Mitchell, Education Co-ordinator for the PHC.  “In the end, the project shows a unique connection between these two cultures and landscapes.”

Arctic Zoo is the perfect exhibition for those interested in exploring Canada’s North. Featuring an interactive, life-size igloo, children can watch videos, write postcards to students in Nunavut and learn more about the culture and customs of the people of the Arctic.

The PHC is operated by the Region of Peel and is located at 9 Wellington St. E. in Brampton.  The Complex is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; weekends from noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission fees are $2.50 for adults; $1.50 for seniors; $1 for students and $7 for families. Admission to the PHC is free during the month of August.

The Peel Heritage Complex is made up of the Region of Peel Museum, the Art Gallery of Peel and the Region of Peel Archives.  Together they collect, preserve and display a variety of materials related to Peel’s heritage.

For more information about the 2,400 km Painting or the PHC, call 905-791-4055 or visit www.peelheritagecomplex.org.

Released by the Peel Heritage Complex on August 1, 2008 at 14:03