Creative Arts

VAM Night (Visual Arts and Music)

Last Thursday night, the Creative Arts Department, students and families enjoyed all things creative with the opening of our Annual VAM Night. This was a celebration of our Creative Arts students, showcasing their wonderful artworks from 2023 and the music performances of our many talented musicians. The evening was well attended with many parents and extended families enjoying the exhibition and music. Before I expand on the showcase, I would like to thank the very talented Creative Arts staff, Mrs Leen Rampe, Ms Michelle Pinkis, Mr Greg Haybittle, Mr Mario Bonaccorso, Mr Kyden Sunarya and Mr Simon Tognetti who worked hard to bring the evening together. We are very fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated team and I know that the students are very grateful for their continued support and inspiration. I would also like to thank the Leadership Team for their ongoing support and acknowledgement of the importance of the Creative Arts in our students education. Visual Arts offers numerous benefits, from fostering creativity and critical thinking, to enhancing communication skills and promoting cultural awareness. This was evident in the diverse range of performances and artworks which were showcased.

Annual Visual Arts Exhibition

The Annual Visual Arts Exhibition was held in Waruga House between Thursday 31st August through to Saturday the 2nd September. This exhibition highlighted the talents of our Visual Arts students from Years7-12 with a focus on the HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work. Year 7 exhibited their Renaissance inspired Flying Machine drawings plus the Self Portrait with Pet paintings. Year 8 dazzled us with their Pop Art inspired superhero posters which explored colour theory, ceramic sculptures and hybrid animal drawings. Years 9 and 10 Visual Arts presented their haunting charcoal reduction drawings and lino block prints of the Steelworks plus their skateboard decks based on Identity. Years 9 and 10 photographic and Digital Media and Year 11 Film Studies students delighted us with their Horror / Suspense films, TV Commercials, their doppleganger photographs and light trail images from their incursion with Mr Peter Solness. The Visual Design logos and T-Shirt designs highlighted the technical skills gained by the students in their pursuits of creating their own brands. The Year 11 Ceramics Class filled the space with their hand built trophy vases, soap dishes and wheel work. Congratulations to the HSC students Matthew Bunder (Graphic Design), Ben Caroutas (Drawing) , Henry Hofman (Photomedia), Roman Kalmanidis (Photomedia), Oliver Needham (Drawing), Luca Piacentin (Painting), Rocco Roncato (Photomedia), Ethan Tobin (Photomedia) and Kieran Wardle (Photomedia) who investigated interesting ideas expressed in skilful and often very sophisticated and innovative ways, using techniques and materials with confidence and a high degree of technical accomplishment. We wish you the best for your upcoming HSC examinations.

Wollongong Art Gallery Enrichment Program

On Thursday 31st August, eight talented Visual Arts students from Years 8 and 9 were selected to represent Edmund Rice College at the Wollongong Art Gallery Visual Arts Enrichment Program. This program works in conjunction with current exhibitions at the gallery. The day began with a guided tour of ROUND (an artist-led exhibition by mid-career artists whose practices include painting, sculpture, construction, installation, and video, incorporating diverse media, materials and colour). The tour was then followed by a workshop led by local artist and educator Kate Stehr. The students learnt how to create a round form using cane and coloured crepe paper, exploring elements of design including line, colour, and negative space. This was a fantastic opportunity for extending our students. Congratulations to our Year 8 students Andre Abdulnour, Spencer Strother, Nikhilan J Avinash and our Year 9 students Kyan Lamb, Jaeden Soncy, Liam Brickell, Cordell Yenne and Finn Richardson for taking up this opportunity.