Young artists envision a world without COVID-19

Equipped only with paints and brushes, a group of Ottawa elementary school students wasasked to create a time machineto whisk them intothe future.Theworld they've envisioned hasflying cars, space portals and noCOVID-19.

"I'm just hoping I can travel to the future," said Ayla Jahani, 9. "I hope there's no pandemic."

They see the future as a beautiful thing.- Claudia Salguero, artist and instructor

The nine- and 10-year-olds, in grades 3 and 4 atViscount Alexander Public School in Sandy Hill,received the artsupplies so they could each create their own visionat home.

Their individual work has been assembled into a colourful mural titled The Future Awaits, now hanging at the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG). The gallery is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions.

Artist Claudia Salgueroled a series of virtual workshops with the students,teaching painting skillsand inspiring each of them to usetheir imagination to create a work representing hope for the future.

Salguero said she was happy to discover that even after more than a year of lockdowns anddisruption, the kids remain optimistic about what's coming next.

"They see the future as a beautiful thing," said Salguero. "They see light, they see colours, they see technology, they see freedom."

The mural project was sponsored by the MASCAwesome Arts program, an Ottawa-based organization that brings artists, musicians and theatre arts performers into schools and community centres.

Kids coping through art

Evie Reid, 9, said creating art has helpedher cope with the pain of missing classmates and relatives during the pandemic.

"It helps me a lot mentally to express myself through art," said Reid, who's looking forward to seeing the finished mural when the OAG is finally allowed to reopen.

Jahanisaid the best part was getting her hands dirty.

"The reason I like making artis, first of all, it's messy," she said."I got to express myself, and I'm not kidding I used a lot of layers and splotches of paint."

She said the cleanup was appealing, too.

"It also feels good to peel paint off of your hands," she said. "That feels sosatisfying."

Jahani agreed that being apart from herclassmates has been difficult, so her vision of the future has nocoronavirus though it does contain a warning about environmental damage caused by human activity.

The mural, along with individual pieces by each student, will remainon display at the OAG until Septemberwhen itwill be installed outdoors near their school.