Youth Education

A class or individual student will choose a species of their choice from the IUCN Red List to research and determine the multifaceted threats facing this species. Using this foundation of knowledge students will hypothesize a solution to help build the species population through one or multiple aspects of their plight.

Using their hypothesis as a basis for their artists statement the students will create a pictorial composition through a medium of their choice (paint, sculpture, collage). Teachers will select the top works of art to be uploaded into a virtual mural hosted on the Artists for Conservation Festival Website. 

In 2017’s Pilot Project a selection of student works of art will be displayed on a poster at the Artists for Conservation Festival (Nov.9-12) at VanDusen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver BC. The selected students will receive family passes to the festival.

In 2018 through a juried process student works selected will used to create a mosaic panel mural displayed at the 2018 International Ornithological Congress in Vancouver, BC. The first place winner of the mural exhibition will be given the opportunity to participate in day of exploration with a IOC scientist and an AFC artists with their family at the 2018 IOC / AFC Festival.

The project builds directly on an existing large scale initiative titled “Silent Skies” – an international collaborative super-mural mosaic featuring all 678 endangered species of birds of the world and bringing together brings together many of the world’s most recognized nature and wildlife artists. The 100-ft-long installation will form the artistic centrepiece of the 8th annual Artists for Conservation Festival (AFC Festival) and the 27th International Ornithological Congress (IOCongress) at Vancouver’s Convention Centre. It will also be represented with a virtual exhibit. The initiative involves a partnership between the world’s leading artist group supporting conservation - AFC and the flagship event of the world’s oldest and most important organizations dedicated to bird studies - the International Ornithological Union.

The Silent Skies Student Mural Project adds an important layer to the aforementioned mural initiative, by engaging educators and students directly in learning about conservation, endangered species and individual bird species facing extinction.