It started with small hands, ink and paper. In elementary classrooms, students used printmaking to create feather-shaped designs inspired by their experiences of Richmond. Some drew on local wildlife. Others captured familiar places or everyday objects. Each print reflected how its creator saw the world around them.

Those feathers then moved on to a new group of hands. Secondary students took the prints and began the careful work of turning them into something larger. They sorted colours and patterns, stitched fabric together and slowly watched individual pieces connect. Over time, the feathers formed a pair of wings inspired by Richmond’s Pacific Great Blue Heron.

As the project unfolded, students noticed repeating patterns and shared discoveries about the natural world. Each feather kept its own character, even as it became part of a larger whole. When the work was displayed at the Richmond Art Gallery from December through January, From Fray to Feather stood as a reminder of what can happen when ideas move between learners, and the remarkable outcomes that can emerge when many hands and ideas come together.