PRIMARY students have been getting inspired and experimental in art workshops at the regional gallery – surrounded by a state touring exhibition of works from kids their own age.
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The workshops are a spin-off of Operation Art, which invites NSW students to make art with the aim of boosting and soothing hospital patients.
Fifty selected works from the 2017 main exhibition are touring NSW and will be added to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s permanent collection.
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That includes four works from students in the New England region.
Gallery education officer Kate Armstrong said the initiative “encourages kids to show empathy for others and think about what might cheer them up if they were in that situation”.
“The exhibition is always vibrant and engaging, and it’s quite inspiring for regional kids to see other kids’ works on display in a regional gallery,” Ms Armstrong said.
Art immersion
Oxley High School art teacher Leisel McIlrick is the workshop tutor.
She said the whole-day sessions were “art immersion”, where the children were able to create over several hours without too much adult intervention.
“It’s all about art-making and it’s very experimental,” she said.
“I teach them very much like I would a secondary class in the materials they use and the way they work, and it pushes them out of their comfort zone.”
Some of those materials, techniques and processes include watercolour, wax-resist, print-making and clay sculpture.
Ms McIlrick said sometimes the most challenging aspect of creativity for the children was overcoming perfectionism.
On Wednesday, more than 20 students took part in a workshop, including Year 4 students Callan Beard and Brock James; and Year 3 students Jasmine Harris and Jemma Carr.
Callan said it was “great” and Brock said: “I think it’s been very good and that I want to come back.”
Jasmine said she’d enjoyed “all of it” and Jemma said she was looking forward to the clay sculptures.
Operation Art
Operation Art is an initiative of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead with the NSW Department of Education and the Tamworth exhibition wraps up on Sunday.
The creations of Gunnedah South Public School students Alice Swain and Charlie Barnes, Tamworth Public’s Brody Ferguson and Timbumburi Public’s Tiffany Allomes are some of the 50 works featured in the touring show.
They were selected out of 796 entries.
Ms Armstrong said the workshops would include one for teachers on Friday, where the educators could make art, gain planning ideas, share resources and network.
“It’s also institute-accredited, and there are not many local opportunities like that for regional teachers,” she said.
Carolyn Millet
Based at The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth, and Namoi Valley Independent, Gunnedah. Covering general news and features on community, council, arts, business, health, education, entertainment and rural matters.
Based at The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth, and Namoi Valley Independent, Gunnedah. Covering general news and features on community, council, arts, business, health, education, entertainment and rural matters.
