Visual Arts
Visual Art Excursion to NSW Art Gallery and The Museum of Contemporary Art
On the last week of Term 1, Year 11 and 12 Visual Arts students travelled to the city to visit the NSW Art Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
We visited the ArtExpress Exhibition where we were able to view the past year’s Year 12 graduate’s Bodies of Work. Many of us found new inspiration to draw from here and inspire the quality of work that needs to be produced at HSC level. Seeing the large variety of different artworks in this exhibition allowed us to broaden our understanding of our artistic opportunity. We also looked around the Gallery and talked about various key artworks we have been studying in class.
Year 12 are currently undertaking a case study of Australian Art and we have been very fortunate to visit the “Connected” Australian Art Exhibition at the MCA where we had the honour of being shown around by educator guides and participate in a 90 minute workshop. This experience, of unpacking site unseen works, helped students gain new insights into a variety of meanings and curatorial decision making when conceptualising an exhibition and how different artworks engage with each other. This Exhibition explored how traditional Aboriginal art making and connection to the land and language group informs very contemporary works using new materials and engaging new audiences.
Overall, this excursion was a great opportunity to assist in our study of art criticism and history as well as assisting us to move forward in our own making endeavours. This was a very beneficial and inspiring experience for all of us.
3 Unit Visual Arts Students at the National Art School
Congratulations to four Blue Mountains Grammar School Visual Arts students from Year 11 who were selected to attend the prestigious Intensive Studio Practice 1 Unit HSC course at the National Art School in Darlinghurst this year. These students were selected from applicants across NSW who are achieving at the highest level of excellence in their Preliminary Course and who demonstrate a mature attitude to their studies. These courses involve a 60 hour NESA-endorsed course, completed over the period of two holiday breaks completing an additional Body of Work to the one they will make for the 2 Unit HSC Visual Arts course.
- Oliver Stephens - Life Drawing
- Mia Underwood - Life Drawing
- Ruby Pierce - Sculpture
- Ella Russell - Painting
Blue Mountains Grammar students have consistently been selected over the past 19 years to extend their classroom experiences and further prepare for the upcoming Higher School Certificate. The opportunity it gives our students is to gain a real life experience of intense studio practice, be surrounded by creativity students from all of the various disciplines and having exposure to practicing artists, galleries and have their work critiques by external art professional. This also gives students the opportunity to spend time on a university campus and feel what it might be like to study art professionally.
We are delighted for Oliver, Mia, Ruby and Ella to be included and wish to thank National Art School for this opportunity. BMGS will be exhibiting the works they created during these courses at the Art and Design Exhibition later this year.
Mrs. Sally Herron
Head of Visual Arts