Fifteen Mount Allison students will have their work showcased in Fundy National Park from June 10-25.

The LandMarks2017 student art exhibit is a partnership between Parks Canada and Mount Allison University.

The exhibition will be launched at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 10 at the Salt and Fir Centre. The event will include a cake cutting, student presentations, and locally inspired refreshments, followed by self-guided tours of student art installations located on trails and at locations throughout the national park.

“The partnership offered a wonderful opportunity for experiential learning and allowed the students to work with a professional organization,” says Karen Stentaford of Mount Allison’s Department of Fine Arts. “The work produced by the third and fourth year Fine Arts students represents a broad range of mediums and ways of responding to the landscape of Fundy National Park. The June exhibition of student artwork in the park is an exciting way to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary.”

There is a long history of art in Canada’s national parks and national historic sites. Artists have worked in, and been inspired by these places since their earliest days. LandMarks2017 is a Canada 150 Signature Project and is a series of new multidisciplinary art projects inspired by nature, taking place in communities located in or close to Parks Canada places across the country.

“Our vision at Fundy National Park for Canada 150 is to bring people together, to inspire them to create a human connection and strengthen our sense of what it means to be Canadian,” says Daniel Mazerolle, acting field superintendent for Parks Canada’s New Brunswick South Field Unit. “The partnership with LandMarks2017 is a perfect example of that, as it allows visitors to discover and connect with nature through art inspired by conservation, indigenous knowledge, and local culture.”

LandMarks2017 provides an opportunity for Canadians to examine our collective histories and have a dialogue about our shared futures through art. A team of nationally acclaimed curators are inspiring and leading 12 established artists and art students from 16 Canadian universities and local communities in the creation of new artworks.

LandMarks2017 at Fundy National Park is a great opportunity for families to creatively explore and connect with nature. Over 20 art installations will be displayed at key locations in the park, transforming Fundy into a natural art experience. Visitors can pick up a LandMarks2017 art map at the Visitor Centre. Art pieces can be found at the Visitor Reception Centre, Salt and Fir Centre, East Branch Trail, Point Wolfe, Upper Salmon River Trail, Caribou Plains Trail, and Malaren Pond Trail.

The exhibition will include pieces by Meagan Chaput, Hailey Dunphy, Evan Furness, Hailey Guzik, Kathryn Hallett, Sylvan Hamburger, Savannah Harris, Gabrielle Johnson, Lucy Koshan, Nelligan Letourneau, Brenna MacMillan, Jennifer McKelvay, Kevin Melanson, Logan Milne, and Florence Small.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the Government of Canada is offering free admission to all national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas in 2017. The 2017 Discovery Pass can be ordered online at https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/index