The Arts at Oakleigh Grammar
Tracy Sarroff
Teacher of Visual Art / Media / VCE Studio Arts
Arts in August
Lunchtime Clay Activities
As part of Arts in August activities, students have been attending the Senior Art room at lunchtimes to create sculptural pinch pots out of clay with Ms Sarroff. This hands-on activity develops students’ skills in spatial awareness, construction, joinery and creative thinking. We look forward to seeing the end results, which should be finished in time for the Oakleigh Grammar Arts Show on Wednesday, 12th September. This is a special evening event showcasing work by our Junior, Middle and Senior school artists. Everyone is welcome to attend.
MELBOURNE ARTS WEEK: Year 9 and VCE Studio Art excursions
This month, we have been celebrating Arts in August at Oakleigh Grammar. During the month was also Melbourne Arts Week, where students attended excursions into the city. Visiting galleries forms an important component of the Arts curriculum, and enriches students’ understanding of course content alongside the wider value of arts and culture throughout societies.
On two separate occasions, Ms Sarroff took our students from Year 9 Visual Art and VCE Studio Arts to the National Gallery Victoria for viewing the once in a lifetime MoMA exhibition. The show presents a curatorial overview of modern and contemporary art across 130 years, a collection rarely on loan outside of New York. Both groups attended an accompanying lecture to unravel ideas explored and find out the historical and cultural context of selected works.
Year 9 students also toured the NGV’s permanent collection expanding art and antiquities from ancient civilizations, to the current day, and across all corners of the globe. In addition to the NGV visit, VCE Studio Arts students visited Robert Owen’s exhibition of abstract and colour field paintings, at ARC ONE Gallery on Flinders Lane, before visiting the Spring Art Fair. This fair is a unique biennial event during Melbourne Arts Week, showcasing domestic and international galleries inside hotel suites, at the Windsor Hotel on Spring Street. It is unusual to see art in such an alternative and boutique setting to the traditional art fair model. Students enjoyed seeing works displayed on beds, couches, coffee tables and even in bathtubs!
Our students were left impressed, inspired, engaged and wide-eyed. Gallery exhibitions are always open to the public and often free of charge. I encourage students to visit again on weekends and during Term breaks. Please check websites for open hours.
Rosa Avzangelis
Senior Art & Visual Communication Design
Do you want to improve your drawing skills? Would you like to learn from the great masters the tricks of the trade? Then this workshop is for you. Whether you are a beginner or have advanced skills you will benefit from joining this unique workshop and become inspired by the art of Renaissance Italian Masters in a relaxed, fun studio atmosphere in the graphics room. Picture this, the music of Pavarotti in the background, Versace and Ferrari in the air and of course pizza …...
There are only 10 spots available be sure to register your interest with Mrs Avzangelis, and I look forward to improving your drawing skills by learning from famous artists.
Overview
The workshop was lots of fun and students were excited at producing magnificent reproductions of artworks from the Renaissance period. They learnt about the chiaroscuro method of achieving form in a painting/drawing. Just look at the wonderful results.
Thank you to the students who participated in the drawing workshop during “Arts in August” your enthusiasm and creative efforts were definitely contagious!
Grazie a tutti!!!
Mrs R Avzangelis
