Sitting on the Fence Exhibition.I have had many magical moments teaching art. One unforgettable moment was when I taught a VCE class of 13 students. The majority of these students weren't thinking of going on to university to do any arts subjects. My goal was the same as theirs in that they wanted to pass year 12 and Studio Art. It was only one of their subjects (they were relying on passing this subject). Most of the students had no background or skills for making art except for their last art class in year 8. A few were more dedicated and one or two did want to pursue a career in the arts. How was I going to help them make it happen?
We began the year with getting to know each other through exercises in drawing with charcoal. The noises and complaints about getting dirty and "why would I want to draw a bottle?" resonated through the studios. Work continued into oil pastel and paint with similar complaints. During the process discussions about anything and everything in the world around the students gave a sense of a small community being developed. Each had their own fears of how on earth are they going to complete any work that they could see was of a standard required to pass the year. Once the barriers were broken down many individual ideas and beliefs crept into the discussions and eventually into the artworks. Frustrations with written work and reflections in their journals started to disappear. By the end of the first term the students began to feel more in tune with their surroundings and with me. The art was having a great effect on everyone.
At the commencement of the next term the class and the school decided to put together an art exhibition of VCE work. "What would it look like?" was the question. After each student had committed to their final intentions they began to see the exhibition as being a diverse and interesting presentation. From this their confidence escalated and as part of their learning about how a professional exhibition was set up they were happy to tackle a larger event by inviting Artists from the area to exhibit with them. The School was so excited that a sum of money was set aside for purchasing artworks and a prize for the best representation of the theme. The theme was the school environment.
Driven by excitement, the students worked furiously towards completing their work at a quality level in time for assessment and the exhibition. They explored other art galleries and investigated many art events and challenged themselves in areas they had never experienced before.
Each student played a role in the planning, development and presentation of the exhibition. They all had a special area to exhibit their work and each student hosted the evening with different roles. The exhibition was a great success and the students felt they owned the whole project. Their results were exceptional and their memories of the art room will be forever. And for me also.
The students had a positive experience with the arts. They worked on a major project whilst creating their own individual art. Their applications expressed everything from an Installation piece, to a portable landscape sculpture, including the water. The variety of work was exciting for everyone to see . They shared their ideas and supported each other along the way. They all passed VCE.
We began the year with getting to know each other through exercises in drawing with charcoal. The noises and complaints about getting dirty and "why would I want to draw a bottle?" resonated through the studios. Work continued into oil pastel and paint with similar complaints. During the process discussions about anything and everything in the world around the students gave a sense of a small community being developed. Each had their own fears of how on earth are they going to complete any work that they could see was of a standard required to pass the year. Once the barriers were broken down many individual ideas and beliefs crept into the discussions and eventually into the artworks. Frustrations with written work and reflections in their journals started to disappear. By the end of the first term the students began to feel more in tune with their surroundings and with me. The art was having a great effect on everyone.
At the commencement of the next term the class and the school decided to put together an art exhibition of VCE work. "What would it look like?" was the question. After each student had committed to their final intentions they began to see the exhibition as being a diverse and interesting presentation. From this their confidence escalated and as part of their learning about how a professional exhibition was set up they were happy to tackle a larger event by inviting Artists from the area to exhibit with them. The School was so excited that a sum of money was set aside for purchasing artworks and a prize for the best representation of the theme. The theme was the school environment.
Driven by excitement, the students worked furiously towards completing their work at a quality level in time for assessment and the exhibition. They explored other art galleries and investigated many art events and challenged themselves in areas they had never experienced before.
Each student played a role in the planning, development and presentation of the exhibition. They all had a special area to exhibit their work and each student hosted the evening with different roles. The exhibition was a great success and the students felt they owned the whole project. Their results were exceptional and their memories of the art room will be forever. And for me also.
The students had a positive experience with the arts. They worked on a major project whilst creating their own individual art. Their applications expressed everything from an Installation piece, to a portable landscape sculpture, including the water. The variety of work was exciting for everyone to see . They shared their ideas and supported each other along the way. They all passed VCE.
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