Illustration and 3D animation StudentsFrom Wednesday March 14 to Friday March 16, roughly 100 Dawson students from Visual Arts, Illustration, 3D Animation, ALC, Social Sciences and Photography embarked on a three-day art trip to Toronto.Illustration and 3D Animation visited the harbor front and had the option to join with Visual arts to see the Powerplant Museum. A number of students also visited the free gallery night at the AGO. Toronto has a substantial number of contemporary art galleries and for students who come from a more traditional illustration background such as ours, it was inspiring to see unique perspectives and techniques applied to a variety of mediums.Thursday, March 15 the Illustration & 3D animation students and faculty went to the Ripley’s aquarium. There was a plethora of wildlife on display including a long and winding tunnel through a large tank space. There were many beautiful vistas throughout. Students and staff were in awe of the displays. A number of students took photos and sketched for their own references. Many students found it the highlight of the trip.Students were encouraged to visit an artist association to participate in a life drawing session the following night. Many participated and took photos with the hosts and model.Later on Thursday evening the distillery district was the destination. Students and staff  took in the historic district, visiting a variety of galleries and shops. There were many contemporary gallery spaces and each shop was adorned with a number of historic pieces from 19th century Toronto industry. The district provided a number of places for people to sit, relax and grab a bite.On our final day we toured through the Royal Ontario Museum. The breadth and depth of natural history, design, and art covered in the museum was awe inspiring for students. For a young person to see thousands of years of history in the space of a few hours can really expand their visual storytelling and vocabulary. A number of students made their way to Labyrinth Comics. This store is filled with popular and obscure comics, and contains a plethora of highly informative art books covering a wide array of art genres, styles and subjects. Many staff and students stocked their library that afternoon.Students remarked in their reports how inspiring both the ROM, AGO, and Aquarium were.Visual Arts, ALC, and Social Science StudentsWe visited museums, galleries (commercial and university-run), artist-run centers, and even an artist’s studio. Students signed up for the activities that they wanted to join, and two museums (the Powerplant Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum) were mandatory for all students. For the other visits, we had between 20 and 50 students with us at all times. Many students came to the free night at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which they enjoyed very much. The guided visits were the most popular, including Mercer Union, Clint Roenisch Gallery, Division Gallery the Arsenal, the gallery at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and the Imaging Center at Ryerson University. The professionals who greeted us were all very generous with their time, explaining the works to the students and making themselves available for questions and comments. The students mentioned that they really enjoyed having someone speak to them about the work.For the VA, ALC and Social Science students, the highlight of the trip was a visit to Betty White’s studio (the artist, not the actress!). She welcomed 30 students into her home studio, and talked very intimately about her career as an artist. She invited everyone to walk around her home, to open all of the doors, and discover the artwork that covers every wall. The students connected to her in a very deep way, and felt privileged to be able to ask her questions about her life and career. They all stayed around her, hugged her, asked for her autograph, and spoke of how much she inspired them afterward.In speaking with the students and reading their comments in the evaluation at the end of the trip, it was very touching to see how much they appreciated the trip, how much they learned, and how it had a positive impact on them. They made friends, they discovered new artists, they learned how to navigate in a different city, and they connected with teachers. For some, it was the first time that they were away without their parents, and they gained a lot of confidence in themselves. This trip encouraged students to be open, to try new things, and to learn, and will have a positive impact on the rest of their studies and time at Dawson, as well as their experiences beyond Dawson’s walls.