Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre launches new digital education program inspired by Alan Weinstein

The Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre (BCM&CC) has launched Mining for Gold: The Art of Alan Weinstein. This is a new, asynchronous digital education program for secondary students, inspired by the work and philosophy of Canadian artist Alan Weinstein.

This new educational program complements the online publication Alan Weinstein: The Bruce County Collection, 1970-2015. The development of this program by the Museum showcases the artist’s work, career, and legacy, following a 2021 donation by the artist of over 500 pieces of his prints and paintings. 

The design of Mining for Gold aligns with the Ontario Visual Arts Curriculum for Grades 9 to 12. It provides teachers with a flexible, ready-to-use program that enriches classroom learning. For students, it offers a meaningful opportunity to connect Weinstein’s legacy with their own creativity and personal expression.

Through three interactive digital modules, students explore the life and work of Weinstein, discovering thematic series from his career through the 1970s. They will engage with Weinstein’s philosophy of “mining your gold,” which emphasizes uncovering their own unique, creative voice. Students will learn the fundamentals of intaglio printmaking (drypoint) using recycled materials to create their own original artwork as a way to reflect on and better understand their creative process. 

“This program is an excellent contribution to our education system. I am grateful knowing that this digital resource will make my work accessible to a broad audience. The designer, Chris Irvine, and editor, Rick Archbold, created a splendid visual overview of five decades of my paintings and prints," said Alan Weinstein.

“This program teaches a fun, accessible technique that young artists (and non-artists) may not have tried before. It guides them through exploring their own gifts and artistic voice, just as Weinstein has done throughout his career,” said Lauren Beer, Education & Outreach Coordinator at the BCM&CC. 

The program is available online through the Museum’s Digital Education Centre at www.brucemuseum.ca.

About Alan Weinstein 

Since his one man show in 1961 at the Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Weinstein has been given solo exhibitions in museums and galleries in Canada, the United States, and Australia. He has participated in juried invitational and group shows nationally and internationally. Born in Toronto in 1939, Weinstein was educated at Princeton, BA, University of Iowa, MFA, and the École du Louvre. He has taught at the Universities of Saskatchewan, Guelph and Texas at San Antonio.

Weinstein’s work is represented in public collections across North America and abroad. His paintings and prints have received awards and honors in the United States and Canada over the last fifty years. He maintains studios in Iowa City, Iowa, and Teeswater, Ontario. He is married to author Nina Barragan. They have four children.