19 January 2015

Shepparton Art Museum’s end-of-year school art exhibitions for 2014, Self/Expression and The Art Room, will open this Friday 23 January. The official launch and celebratory evening event is scheduled for Friday 30 January when students and teachers are back for the new school year.

Shepparton Art Museum's end-of-year school art exhibitions for 2014, Self/Expression and The Art Room, will open this Friday 23 January. The official launch and celebratory evening event is scheduled for Friday 30 January when students and teachers are back for the new school year.

The exhibitions highlight the achievements of students who participate in visual art courses in both primary and secondary schools from across the Goulburn Valley region. Both exhibitions highlight skill and creativity in approaches to art-making as well as confidence and sensitivity with regards to subject matter and in communicating ideas about the world and experiences of it.

‘Shortlisted artworks for Self/Expression present the best Year 11 and Year 12 artwork by students completing VCE Studio Arts and VCE Art in this region,' SAM Visual Arts Educator Rhonda Chrisanthou said. ‘There were 36 students from both Year 11 and 12 who submitted applications for Self/Expression. Fourteen students were shortlisted from a very large field. Selected artwork includes a number of photographic images and installation works that range in themes, approaches and reflect social and personal concerns.' Artwork by senior students will be displayed in SAM's Crawford Stewart Gallery.

Secondary schools represented in Self/Expression include: Cobram Secondary College, Dookie College, Goulburn Valley Grammar School, McGuire College, Mooroopna Secondary College, Notre Dame College, Rushworth P-12 College, Shepparton Christian College, Shepparton High School, St Augustine's College Kyabram and Wanganui Park Secondary College.

Eight primary schools submitted expressions of interest for The Art Room. Teachers were invited to select their own shortlist and have assisted in the presenting artwork for display in the Eastbank Centre Foyer. The display features artworks by students from Year 1 through to Year 10. Classwork is highly varied and includes mixed media, drawing and painting and presents an array of subjects, themes and approaches to art-making.

Schools represented in The Art Room include: Cobram Secondary College, Euroa Primary School Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Guthrie Street Primary School, Kialla West Primary school, McGuire College, Notre Dame College, Numurkah Secondary College and Numurkah Primary School.

Self/Expression and The Art Room will be on display from Friday 23 January to Sunday 22 February and will be accompanied by The Rennie Ellis Show, currently showing. Entry is free. SAM is open 7 days from 10am to 4pm (public holidays 1pm to 4pm).

The exhibition will be officially opened by Drew Pettifer, lecturer in Art History RMIT, contemporary artist and freelance curator, on Friday 30 January 2015 at 6pm. To RSVP, please phone (03) 5832 9861 by Thursday 29 January.

Shepparton Art Museum is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council, located at 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton. For general SAM enquiries and bookings please contact: (03) 5832 9861, email art.museum@shepparton.vic.gov.au, or visit www.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au for more information.

Image: Jayden Scrivens (McGuire College / Mooroopna Secondary College) Mankind Versus Mother Nature (detail) 2014
digital inkjet print on canvas, 150 x 30 cm © the artist