Visual Arts 

GATE - Visual Art

This term, our Gifted & Talented Visual Arts program has started in earnest, as we continue to offer varied enrichment experiences to our students in the program.

Our Saturday workshops offer students diverse opportunities in a variety of studio areas with highly reputable Art Tutors, within their area of specialisation. This term, we have welcomed Desmond Sweeney, a practising artist who has worked for Sydney Opera over the past five years. Plein air landscape painting, figurative drawing, graphic novel production and silkscreened zines, are some of the workshops currently on offer to our students.

We have had a total of 22 students' works submitted in local competitions/exhibitions: the Shaun Tan Art Award, St George’s Art Award, Emerge City of Nedlands Youth Art Award, and the Young Originals Exhibition.

We congratulate the following students for their creative excellence and achievement.

Year 12 students: Nithunaa Karthikeyan, Isabel Hatswell (Yr 12 ATAR art student), 

Year 11 students: Olivia Andrews, Elsa Hu, Jessica Lee, Maria Lugovskaya, Maisie Kidd, Rohan Day, Amelia Vulin

Year 9 students: Beatrice Woods, Nicholas Law, Vidya Lays, Cleo Civitella, Laura McElwee, Emily Rong, Milica Rudez, Emma Arts, Eden Butcher, Audrey Laws, Tina Shao 

Year 8 student: Saavi Kaur

We also had our Year 10 SPA students enjoy their two-day Canvas for Change-themed art excursion, spending a day visiting Murdoch University and participating in activities such as a digital art tour, a lecture on the topic Care and Connection in a Fragmented World, a curatorial workshop, and more.

Year 10 GATE Visual Arts students enjoyed two inspiring days exploring contemporary Australian art and creative pathways. Students visited Murdoch University for a university lecture, curator-led artefact exploration and hands-on activities, before travelling to North Metropolitan TAFE and AGWA for a practical printmaking workshop and The West Australian Pulse 2026. The experience offered a valuable glimpse into tertiary study, professional arts practice and the work of emerging Western Australian artists.

In Week 5, Year 8 SPA students also spent a day at AGWA and Boola Bardip, Perth Museum, viewing artifacts and artworks, and participating in the ‘Cranky Pants’ Interactive workshop. Day Two was spent at the Piney Lakes Reserve Environmental Education Centre, immersing themselves in the natural environment along the Bidi Katitjiny Aboriginal Women’s trail and participating in a ceramics workshop with one of our Gate Art tutors, Jo Yong. 

Another highlight this term, is the collaboration of our 35 Year 7 SPA students with artist Andrew Fraser.  Students are contributing ideas and completing drawing designs, which will assist the artist in developing a final design for a public artwork, which will feature within the future building project on the east side of North Block. We will look forward to hearing and seeing how this exciting project evolves.

Gabby Wilson, GATE Coordinator