Students at Wynyard Composite High School were treated to a viewing and interactive lessons on May 23rd courtesy of the Mackenzie Art Gallery's Touring Artist Program. This year's presentation, entitled Inscriptions, exposed students to a variety of historical artifacts along with contemporary artworks.

Teacher Cindy Horvath coordinated the visit by Ken Duczek of the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Regina. She explains the reference to the presentation's title, Inscriptions, "All of the artifacts brought were inscribed in one way or another. The pieces came from all over the world. One was an Egyptian sculpture with hieroglyphics on it. Ken said it was probably from around 1 B.C. There were a couple of coins; one was from Japan and another from the UK. They ranged in age from 100 to 150 years old."

Another of the artifacts was an inscribed tablet purported to be over 2,000 years old. The Mackenzie Art Gallery makes these priceless works available for viewing in schools and rural communities through outreach programs like the Touring Artist Program. Horvath says that the Gallery visits the school every couple of years, each time bringing a new focus and experience for the students. She appreciates the opportunity, as do the students, "It's nice because it provides an opportunity for the entire school with an opportunity to see different types of artworks rather than taking one small group to the art gallery."

The other benefit according to Horvath is that students are exposed to a variety of media so that they come to understand that art has many vehicles of expression. Students learned this first hand through an activity that focused on Saskatchewan artist Angelique Merasty. Merasty was best known for preserving and advancing the traditional indigenous art form of birch bark biting. The form involves creating intricate designs on birch bark by making impressions with one's teeth. Students learned techniques using paper and carbon paper to create their own impression designs. 

Students from grades seven to twelve took part in the viewing and the activities. Horvath was pleased with the students' response and was appreciative of the fact that they were able to create their own artwork as part of the day.