"Art is how people survive."
It's a bold statement, but for Kalen Westby, Head of the Arts Department and Drama Teacher at Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, it's also the idea that shapes every rehearsal, classroom discussion, and student who enters her classroom.
For the first installment of Art Journeys, I sat down with Westby, where our conversation explored teaching, theatre, philosophy, and why creativity matters in Muskoka and in society at large.
Westby was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, and has held a variety of roles before moving to Muskoka to teach. When asked what brought her to Muskoka, Westby explained that being closer to family played a major role in her decision along with the region's natural beauty and lifestyle.
"It's a lot nicer than hanging out in the city," she stated. "The weather's nicer, you get a real winter, there's more outdoor activities. It's like working at a country club!"
For Westby, Muskoka offers the perfect balance of community and family connection, and access to the outdoors qualities that continue to inspire her and her students.
Our conversation then turned to her path toward becoming a Drama Teacher. Westby spoke fondly of her own high school Drama Teacher, Ms. Young, whose classroom left a lasting impression.
"It was the coolest space in my high school," Westby recalled. "Covered in curtains and wood floors. And Ms. Young… she was the bee's knees, the coolest person I had ever met. So calm and confident."
Inspired by Ms. Young's encouragement, Westby gradually came out of her shell, enrolled in more drama courses, and discovered a passion for discipline. That experience ultimately shaped her career, as she set out to become the kind of teacher who could have the same impact on her own students that Ms. Young had on her.
Sitting in Westby's office, it was easy to see why students gravitate towards her classroom. The walls were lined with programs from past productions and photographs from school trips to New York and Toronto as long black curtains framed the drama room. It reminded me of the way Westby had just described Ms. Young's classroom years earlier.
Within Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School’s Drama Department, Westby has done a number of productions. When the conversation turned to her favourite production, Westby didn't hesitate.
“Our Town by Thornton Wilder. That’s been my favourite project so far. I’ve wanted to do that play since I was a high school student myself, such a good show. I may have been a bit selfish that year.”
Wilder's play celebrates the beauty and pain of ordinary life in a small town similar to Muskoka. This made me wonder what a play written about Muskoka would be about? Westby stated that her interpretation of the idea would be a reflection of us as people and our stories, perhaps, how we got here, and in similar fashion to Wilder’s Our Town; understanding the uncomfortable truths of humanity, in order to understand where we are heading towards the future.
From theatre, our conversation naturally broadened into one of the oldest questions in Philosophy: What makes something art?
“Art is definitely subjective, because people are gonna like it or they're not, and you can't change their minds no matter how many Formalism rules you throw at them.” — Formalism being the philosophical term that requires specific criteria.
“However, I strongly believe that art has to be intentional. It has to have an artist to be considered art, or has to be somebody who has had the thought, had the vision, had the idea, and then has made that thought, vision, or idea occur. Otherwise, it is beautiful.”
As the conversation continued, we moved into discussing the role of the educator in the art world of Muskoka. Westby goes on to describe the art scene from the viewpoint of an educator in Muskoka.
Rich. It's incredibly rich. There's galleries, there's youth art, there’s theatre you can go to, there are music scenes, and all sorts of opportunities out there, and I think that we could probably make them more public, so people are aware of the opportunities. But there's so much to do. in so many different ways to do it. Westby stated regarding our art culture here in Muskoka, and later she discussed some of the challenges which included declining enrolment, ongoing funding challenges, and the uphill battle of sustaining long-term artistic projects.
As we reached the end of our conversation, I asked the question that started this whole series: why does art matter? Westby stated “Art is how people survive.
Art is what makes us human. Creativity is the most humanizing, most equalizing, most empathizing thing that you can do, right? So, without art, it would be a bland, dreary, depressing world.
How are we supposed to process anything that we experience that we don't have a way to be creative about? It allows us to understand one another. Art makes us better people.
The literal happy dances I saw during our show this year — Getting The Axe by Don Zolisis. It's the joy in seeing other people shine. Art is what keeps people going.”
Before we finished, I asked Westby if there was one message she'd like readers to remember.
"Take a drama class," she laughed. "Take a drama class. Take a drama class."
After speaking with Westby, it became clear her perception of art isn't simply something we look at and awe over; it is something that shapes the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Whether through a school production, a painting in a local gallery, or a community performance, creativity gives people a language for experiences that words alone often can’t express. In Muskoka, where nature, community, and storytelling intersect, that connection feels especially paralleled. And with Westby’s idea of art is how people survive seems to fill the gap of the understanding of each other.