From the Art & Design Department

2023 Dr Ken Marshall Art & Design Awards

Thank you to everyone who assisted to make the Art and Design Awards a huge success the foyer was bustling with people on Friday night enjoying the students exhibition showcasing their learning for 2023.  We were fortunate to have Susan Templeman the Member for Macquarie and Australia’s Special Envoy for the Arts join us for the evening.

I would like to thank Dr Ken Marshall for his ongoing support and enthusiasm for Art and Design, his generosity provides the prizes for this award and has done for the last 23 years with his sponsorship and Bequest to Blue Mountains Grammar School Art and Design Department in order to maintain this quality exhibition and support creativity and innovation at the school.  I would also like to thank Steve Patterson from Derivan for their ongoing generosity and sponsorship of art prizes and the Joan Pitt family for the Photographic Prize.

We feel Visual Arts and TAS subject’s encourage students to think deeply, communicate their thoughts, to enquire, investigate, question their world, and understand it aesthetically.  Art and Design helps people look at things from multiple perspectives, to see the world differently means that you can understand different cultures, viewpoints and periods of history. 

Evidence of the importance of Art Education at Blue Mountains Grammar is seen through the ongoing careers of our many past students who have gone on to work in creative fields such as graphic design, film, photography, visual arts, fashion, communication, engineering and architecture. The employment industry looks for creative thinker and innovators. In the words of Dr Ken Robinson, "Creativity is as important now in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status”.

Congratulations to all our prize winners, you should be proud of your efforts. 

A big thank you to Dr Marshall for sponsoring the student’s prizes. Encouraging and motivating students to embrace creativity and innovation, helping to enrich the value of Art and Design within the BMGS community. Thank you to our Guest Speaker Sarah Fordham who travelled all the way from Sydney for Friday night’s event. I have included a copy of her speech for all those who missed it. 

Thank you to Mrs Julie Cooney and the Musicians for their musical creativity this evening. Sam Gander, Simeon Gee, James Reynolds, Will Louis, Elizabeth Isbister, Sienna and Luca Coleman, Sophia Huckel and Evie Pritchard. 

Thank you to Mrs Andrea Jackson and Ms Nicole Law for their administrative efforts with prize winners.  Thank you also to our incredible maintenance team Mr Chris Jones and Mr David Dann who assisted in framing and installing artwork.

Thank you to all of the Visual Arts and TAS Teachers for all their creative energy and input over the entire year their programs, ideas and creativity are largely expressed in the work you see in this exhibition. Thank you to all who have contributed many hours of their own personal time to make this exhibition a success. 

We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Ms Julie  Hiam who has been an inspirational teacher. While we are all sad that she has left us this year, we are also excited for you and your new adventures. Thank you for giving your all to the students and families at BMGS you have been inspiring for all of us to work with such a motivated teacher and beautiful person we wish you well on your new journey of creativity.  

Thank you to all the students who assisted in pulling this exhibition together. Without the energy and talent of these amazing people this exhibition would not happen. There are many hours above and beyond the call of duty for both staff and students that go into pulling a show like this together.

Thank you lastly to the wonderful Art Captains Jade Robilliard, Sophia Morley and the Stem Captains Daniel Ball and Michael Zhu who did a wonderful job of hosting the event.

The People’s Choice Award went to Jack Corkins Year 9 for his resin coasters; congratulations, Jack.

Mrs Sally Herron

Head of Visual Arts