Learning Area Advisor              - The Arts

Why Do the Arts Matter?

Brian Dunlop, ‘Room with a Visitor’ (image QAGOMA)

At the recent re-opening of the Queensland Art Gallery, visitors were welcomed back by this large painting by Brian Dunlop.  The quiet stillness and the distance between the two people remind us of the strange year 2020 has been.  This year has been a bit of an unusual one for the arts in our community and at Mount Alvernia as well.  As we moved into isolation in late March, we saw the temporary pause on Arts performances and engagement.  We stopped singing in groups in enclosed spaces.  We stopped playing instruments in bands and orchestras.  Theatrical performances were cancelled; galleries closed their doors so that artworks could not be viewed in real life.

However, since then communities world-wide have found solace in the arts, with an increased participation and access to a range of online events, generously provided for free by arts practitioners, galleries, and other cultural institutions.  We found comfort in listening to music at home and viewing virtual art galleries online, we sang at home alone as part of Couch Choir, we made new connections while doing online drawing classes, and we made chalk art on footpaths in our suburbs.

Li Cunxin, the Director of the Queensland Ballet, reminds us of the capacity of the arts to enrich lives and lift the spirits of humanity.  The dancers of the Queensland Ballet company created new dances during isolation time that were inspired by love.  Their new work is called 60 Dancers: 60 Stories.  Each dance was performed in the dancer’s local environment - be it inside their home, in their garden, or on a beach - and then shared online.  Later this month this production comes to the QPAC stage.  It will no doubt be an exhilarating experience for the dancers to once again take to the stage and for them to connect to their audiences through these stories of love. 

Our own Arts Department at Mount Alvernia has had to adapt to changing times and find ways to work within set parameters.  Our annual Art Show will not go ahead this year as normal, but instead we have photographed every artwork made by our students in Years 7 to 12 and made them available for viewing in our online Mount Alvernia Gallery of Art (MAGA).  Along with this we have acknowledged the good work of students through our Artwork of the Month awards.  We have also displayed student work in school spaces.  Our students have also responded to their time in isolation by recording their experiences of time at home.  The Year 10 Media Arts class produced a documentary photography zine.  A zine is self-published work of original text and images.  I share some images from this project below.  Photos by students Jemima Bishop, Tegan O’Neill, and Lara Picton capture the stillness and quiet of time at home in March.

Let’s celebrate the value of the arts in our lives.  This has become more apparent this year, reminding us that being creative and telling stories through the diverse art forms connects us as humans.  We are reminded that producing great performances and artworks that communicate effectively to audiences is the culmination of many hours of experimentation, learning, refining, critical thinking, problem solving, reflection, analysis, and dedication. 

Holmes Art Prize

Students who participated in the Holmes Prize for Realistic Australian Bird Art created 2D artworks that will be on display at the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Gallery until 11 October.  Congratulations to all students who participated.  Special congratulations to finalist Giselle Shaw (Year 9) in the under 18 category, and to Lara Picton (Year 10) and Acacia Stockermans (Year 7) whose work was highly commended. 

Art X

Art X artmaking activities resume for this term on Thursday afternoons from 3.15 to  4.30pm, beginning next week - 15 October.  All students are welcome to attend.  This term our task is Make a Pot.  We will be working with clay on the potter’s wheels and hand building a ceramic plant holder.  Interested students can just turn up to S106 or send Ms Masci an email. 

Yours in the Arts

Lorella Masci