Imagination Academy offers three engaging Artist in Residence themes for Alberta schools:
An Animal Story, The Arctic and the Inuit, and Canada Coast to Coast.

During an art residency, every class takes part in a hands-on, 90-minute linocut printmaking workshop. Each student creates and takes home their own original linocut art print along with their carved plate.

Every art workshop follows a structured, teacher-friendly process:

• Visual & Drawing Lesson: An introductory presentation introduces your chosen theme, with a guided drawing lesson teaching fundamental line, patterns and drawing techniques.

• Printmaking Demonstration: Students learn about essential printmaking equipment, including brayers, ink slabs, styluses, plates, and printing presses.

• Hands-On Carving & Printing: Students carve their custom designs, roll ink onto their carved plate and press their final individual artworks.

AFA Grant Funding Support Artist in Residence programs are eligible for partial funding through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) Grant. We have a proven track record of helping schools successfully apply for and secure this funding. If your school would like assistance with the application process, we are happy to assist you. The application deadline for the 2027–2028 school year is May 1, 2027.

Linocut Printmaking:
Artist in Residence for Schools

Book an Artist in Residence

Students explore Cree or Blackfoot animal symbolism through a guided art experience. Students learn step-by-step techniques to draw native wildlife and place their chosen animal within a vibrant Alberta landscape.

An Animal Story

Green linocut print featuring a bear set in an Alberta mountain landscape, inspired by Cree and Blackfoot animal symbolism for Edmonton and Calgary school field trips.
Orange linocut artwork of an eagle in flight created during an elementary school Indigenous art residency in Alberta.

The Arctic and the Inuit

Students explore the Canadian North by studying Arctic wildlife—including narwhals, ukpiks (snowy owls), seals, and polar bears—while discovering their connection to Inuit culture.

Teal linocut artwork featuring a narwhal and Arctic wildlife, created during an elementary school artist in residence program in Alberta
Blue linocut print depicting a polar bear in an Arctic scene, created during an elementary school art residency program in Alberta.

Canada Coast to Coast

Students celebrate Canada’s diverse landscapes, native animals, and cultural landmarks while creating original linocut prints inspired by regions from coast to coast.

Blue linocut art print featuring a traditional grain elevator, farming crops, and hay bales under a decorative sky, created during a Canada Coast to Coast school art residency in Alberta.
Teal linocut print of an owl set in a Canadian landscape, created during a Canada Coast to Coast elementary school art residency in Alberta.

Linocut Printmaking:
Artist in Residence

  • Students learning how to use a stylus tool to carve printmaking plates during a hands-on in-school art field trip in Alberta.

    Carving the Printmaking Plate

    Students learn safe carving techniques and use specialized tools to carve their designs onto individual printmaking plates.

  • Students watching an art instructor demonstrate printmaking ink and tools during an in-school art workshop in Edmonton and Calgary.

    Learning to Print

    Students explore essential printmaking equipment—including brayers, ink slabs, and presses to prepare for the printing process.

  • Student applying ink to a carved linocut printmaking block with a brayer during a hands-on classroom art field trip in Edmonton and Calgary.

    Printing

    Students roll colorful ink onto their carved plates and press their original linocut artworks onto paper.

  • Student sketching design ideas to plan a carving during a hands-on classroom art field trip in Edmonton and Calgary.

    Sketching

    Following a guided drawing lesson, students sketch and plan their custom designs using distinct lines, shapes, and patterns.