Middle and Senior School Visual Art and Design

Ceramic Dogs, Year 8

2022 was a year of no lockdowns with our artists on campus – filling the studios with joyous art making.

We welcomed Mrs Sally Walk to the Art and Design family and, wow, didn’t she make an impact! An internationally renowned ceramicist, Sally had her Middle School students delighting in the use of clay, learning and applying new techniques, and creating beautifully refined pieces. Sally also brought her wealth of knowledge on teaching and learning in the Visual Arts, and this new perspective made collegial dialogue refreshing. This can only benefit the artists of Camberwell Grammar.

The exhibition season kicked off in June with the inaugural Year 8 Exhibition. The diversity of themes and media on display was only trumped by the explosion of colour and the excitement of attendees on opening night. It was brilliant to have the artists keenly explain their thinking and their art-making process with such clarity and pride. The Old Camberwell Grammarians’ Association (OCGA) Exhibition followed, and again it was great to celebrate the creative community of Camberwell Grammar. The season concluded with the brilliant Exit 22 Year 12 Art, Studio Art, and Visual Communication Design Exhibition in October. It was a fantastic showcase of the resilience, determination, and creativity of our graduating artists. The diversity of themes and the written reflections revealed the deeply personal journey that our Art and Design students go on. As one student said, ‘Art is not as easy as people make it out to be. There is no other subject in which I have had to think as long and hard about what I am doing as Art. And that’s its value, it makes you think.’ Being back on campus allowed for excursions and incursions to take place, adding flavour to teaching programs and allowing students to gain inspiration and insights into the practices of others. Years 11 and 12 Art and Studio Art students saw the compelling Patricia Piccinini exhibition in the Ballroom of Flinders Street Station as well as Top Arts, We are Change and the Queer exhibitions at NGV, along with Year 10 students viewing Who are You - Australian Identity, Top Arts, and the printmaking exhibitions. Year 9 students were introduced to the multisensory digital projections of Van Gogh’s masterpieces at Lume Melbourne and also spent the afternoon familiarising themselves with the collection at NGV International.

A huge thank you to the amazing Art and Design staff; your encouragement of all students, your passion and dedication to your craft, and your support for one another fills me with great pride.

Finally, a massive thank you to our amazing Art technicians who just make things happen. Your support and hard work is greatly appreciated.

Working in the Studio, Year 11

Mr David Williamson

Head of Art