Year 10 Visual Arts to Art Gallery of NSW
Louise Heilpern – Visual Arts Teacher
Unveiling a world of art
Year 10 Visual Arts students spent the morning at the Art Gallery of NSW to focus on the exhibitions in the new North Wing which opened in December 2022. It was great to witness students’ depth of engagement. This was evidenced in the time students spent in front of artworks: looking, sketching, and discussing various techniques with their peers.
A favourite was apparently the Tank: a sprawling subterranean exhibition space accessed by an internal spiral staircase. Students were also intrigued by the contemporary artist Lee Mingwei’s contemplative installation Spirit House which is accessed via a door outside of the museum and is designed to be experienced in small groups of 2-3. Inside the domed space, a light source in the ceiling casts a glow around a statue of the Buddha. Here students sat on a small bench admiring the design of the space and listening to the quiet echoes inside the stone room.
The excursion not only provided a platform for the students to appreciate art but also served as an inspiration for their own artistic endeavours. Many left the gallery with newfound motivation, eager to experiment with different mediums and explore fresh concepts in their own creative pursuits.
As they departed the gallery, the Year 10 students carried with them a renewed appreciation for the power of art and the endless possibilities for self-expression. The excursion to the Art Gallery of NSW will inspire future possibilities for their performance artworks and embroideries later in the year.
