“They’ve been the talk of the art department this year.”
The ‘they’ in question are the Year 10 art students at Notre Dame College, whose talent was recently acknowledged in an exhibition held at Tank’s Art Gallery in Shepparton.
The exhibition featured a collection of pop art portraits, still-life watercolours, and screen prints of winged critters on display from Thursday, June 26, to Monday, June 30.
“It’s quite a short exhibition – not all good things are meant to last,” Notre Dame College visual arts teacher Georgia Goonan said.
When Tank first approached the school with this opportunity, it was clear which class to choose.
Ms Goonan said the strong cohort of art students has consistently impressed the faculty at every turn with every unit of work.
“We immediately thought of these classes because their works have just been really outstanding and diverse and creative,” she said.
“We’re just so grateful to Tank for the opportunity to do this (exhibition) and really, really proud of the students – it’s great to see it in this space altogether.”
Among the whiz-bang works are two pieces by student Ava Hindle.
One is a pop-up portrait of Marilyn Monroe, and the other is a still-life painting of a vase of flowers with sunlight streaming through, both created with watercolours.
When asked if she would consider pursuing art as a career, Ava shared that she has many interests, making it difficult to choose just one path.
“I’m not totally sure what I want to do yet, but I have a lot of things that I like doing – criminology and forensic sciences, as well as art and cooking,” she said.
Regardless of the careers they eventually pursue, the future looks bright for these young creatives.
According to Ms Goonan, they have only just begun to tap into their talents.
“These students are only in Year 10 ... they’re only going to get stronger and better, so that's really exciting for the staff, for the college, for their parents, and I’m sure for them as well,” she said.