News / March 8, 2016

Spring 2016 School Hop

Cat Bluemke, David Renditions II and International Brand Expansion (Glasgow), Xpace Cultural Centre, 2015.

The Canadian Art School Hop is an important youth initiative aimed at providing education and outreach to Toronto’s secondary-school students. In the face of reduced funding for extracurricular activities and diminished focus on art education in public schools, this free half-day program offers a unique opportunity for a younger generation to participate in the cultural landscape of Toronto.

Since 2003, this semi-annual program has hosted an ever-increasing number of students (approximately 1,500) at Toronto studios and galleries on tours led by local artists and curators. The program provides free bus transportation, pays for artists and curators to lead discussions with students, and gifts each participant with a current issue of Canadian Art and a sketchbook to continue their explorations.

In this program, participating students are exposed to different artistic practices from diverse cultural backgrounds. They visit commercial galleries and artist-run spaces, and they meet professional artists and curators. The program encourages a free exchange of ideas about art, culture and society, and it establishes a historical context for approaching contemporary art practices.

School Hop gives priority and vital program access to the most needy schools in the region, with more than half of the participating Greater Toronto Area schools coming from low-income neighbourhoods or including at-risk youth. Through continuous feedback from teachers and galleries, we are constantly improving the program, its accessibility and its ability to meet crucial needs of the community.