For over 30 years, the VAC has organized the visual arts component of the McEntyre Literary Competition in collaboration with the Westmount Public Library. Through a series of in-school workshops, this yearly project combines visual art and writing for elementary school students. Centered on a shared theme, students are encouraged to reflect and express their ideas creatively.
All finished artworks are displayed in the Victoria Hall Gallery at the end of the school year, giving students the chance to proudly show their works to family and friends in a public venue.
PAST EDITIONS
2026 Edition: Finding Yourself
Over three sessions, over 250 students constructed a mixed-media artwork using gouache, collage, and gel pens to represent both who they are and who they hope to become. Rather than searching for a fixed sense of self, students were invited to reflect on their dreams, engage with memories, and consider the many influences that continue to shape their identity.
Participating Schools: St Leon, Westmount Park Elementary School, Selwyn House
Facilitators: Nina Slykhuis-Landry, Ava Wright, Vania Djelani, Claire Olwen
2025 Edition: Looking Out My Window
Students were asked to reflect on the relationship between themselves and the outside world, by imagining what world they wished to wake up to. They created a window frame project that depicted their realities, dreams, and desires.
Participating Schools: St Leon, Westmount Park Elementary School, The Priory
Facilitators: Alejandra Zamudio, Hazel Thexton, Chloë Lalonde, Josepha Dumas
