The Arts

2022 Arts Show

The annual Oakleigh Grammar Arts Show was held on Thursday 3 November 2022. It was an amazing exhibition of student work in the areas of Arts and Design, across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools. 

This year we celebrated our wonderful students’ work through the theme ‘Crea-tree-vity’ and its playful combination of the words ‘creativity’ and ‘tree’. The theme symbolises a growth mindset and perseverance over adverse conditions, especially after the global pandemic of the last couple of years. 

We were excited to also present student works created under the tutelage and guidance of our Artist-in-Residence George Petrou, alongside some work from the artist himself. Throughout the evening, there was an awards ceremony for students of excellence across all Arts and Design subjects and year levels, as well as a special presentation from our principal Mark Robertson and our Artist-in-Residence George Petrou. 

After the formal proceedings, parents and students were given a tour led by our Year 5 Drama students and the Year 7 Drama class put on a show. There was a range of artworks and designs from wood technology, media clips, sculptures, paintings and drawings. Overall, the evening was a great success to showcase our very talented students’ work and they should be proud of the effort they have put into their studies this year.  

Kind regards

The Arts and Design Teaching Team

Year 7 and 8 Product Design

Wonderful work from students this term. Completing their products – box with a lid, coat rack, furniture and toys of their choice.

Well done to all students who have displayed their work during the Art Show. Those who made personal growth in this subject to design and construct their products.

Ms Inneke Smit

Year 9 Visual Communication and Design Excursion 

On Friday 28 October, the students of Year 9 VCD embarked on a journey through the city, experiencing the many wonders of Melbourne’s art and design. More specifically, as a class we visited the Tyama exhibition which transported us to Victoria’s nocturnal worlds, being immersed in 360-degree responsive projections, breathtaking effects, and exquisite soundscapes. Shortly after, we made our way over to Melbourne Central for general leisure and exploration, though a few students took a different approach, deciding to go bowling. 

To conclude our excursion, we visited ACMI’s light exhibition which brought the wonderful artworks of the iconic Tate museum in London to Melbourne. Overall, this excursion will be seen by students of VCD as a fascinating experience in regards to their perspective of art and design. Students will take their experience of using light in art and design into their future VCD projects. 

Reflections

We went on the VCD excursion in the city, visiting Tyama and ACMI. Near the start, I was kind of nervous about the trip. However, during the day, we went to Tyama in Melbourne Museum where we experienced understanding three animals on a deeper level using our senses such as sight, sound, hearing, and movement. Afterwards, we went to the cafeteria and had recess before exploring the museum and going on a nature walk, where we saw animals like the huntsman spider, stick insect and lizard. Then we headed towards the Jurassic world, where there were fossils and skeletons of dinosaurs with electronic preview information regarding their body. Once we finished exploring the museum, we made our way to Melbourne Central where we took a little break and had lunch and went shopping. I bought earrings with the help of my friend, Jayden, and then we made our way to Flinders Street, where the ACMI was located. I think this was the most favourite part of the excursion as there was a blue room where my friends and I just sat there and experienced peace while talking. Another fun experience there was tapping the ACMI card on the frames to store the information about each of the artworks. I found this experience enjoyable and it was a fun excursion. 

Samita Upadhyaya, Year 9

At the end of the second semester, some of us had been offered to partake in an excursion for those who are studying Visual Communication and Design. Many of us had come, including me. We had started our morning with a brisk walk to Hughesdale station to travel to the city. We arrived at Parliament station and continued our walking to our first viewing. We visited the Tyama light exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. Tyama is an exciting new exhibition, developed by Museums Victoria exclusively for Melbourne Museum. This multisensory digital experience takes visitors on a journey across Victoria's nocturnal landscapes through the eyes of creatures we share the Country with. Taking our time through the event, and having short snacks, and an early meal for others afterwards. With time to kill we sped through the forest gallery with a short view of the dinosaur exhibition. At noon, we decided to walk to Melbourne Central for a light lunch and bowling for those who had already eaten. We had very few times to catch up and quickly walk to the ACMI museum to experience the great art of the light exhibition. With a stop for a drink beforehand to relax, we entered the exhibition. With a hidden room of great art, blue light illuminating certain rooms. Scan-specific cards were given for the work we appreciated. It had been relaxing in pure silence as well as in the little adventurous room we found along the way. Before we knew it, we had to leave. From Flinders Street station, we made our journey back to school. It had been an amusing excursion to admire and learn about different arts which involve our country’s nature and the use of light.

Natassa Starakis, Year 9