QUEENSLAND’S TOP VISUAL ARTS STUDENTS RECOGNISED

Queensland’s most talented senior visual arts students are meeting in Brisbane this week for the annual Education Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Arts residential workshop.

Some 50 award recipients, from state and non-state schools across Queensland, will spend five days collaborating with professional artists and visiting local galleries.

Minister Welford said it was a wonderful opportunity for students to meet other aspiring young artists and further develop their artistic abilities.

“The workshop will enable these very gifted students to work with professional artists to explore new mediums, techniques and approaches to contemporary art,” Mr Welford said.

“It will broaden their understanding of the creative industries and put them in a better position to make a decision about continuing visual arts after their secondary education.

“The workshop, coordinated by local arts organisation Flying Arts, will be held at the Queensland College of Art and Queensland University of Technology from 24-28 September.”

Students will attend a presentation ceremony at Parliament House on Wednesday 26 September, where Mr Welford will present them with their Certificates of Excellence.

Mr Welford said the awards, introduced in 1990, aimed to promote and recognise excellence in visual arts education and had become a much sought-after achievement for senior visual arts students across the state.

“Over the past 18 years, more than 800 students have been recognised by the awards, which is a testament to the outstanding creative abilities of Queensland’s visual arts students,” he said.

“The arts continue to be an important part of the Queensland curriculum and the local economy. The creative industries sector is worth around $3.4 billion to the Queensland economy annually and directly employs around 28,000 people.

“Highly developed visual arts skills can open doors to creative careers in fields such as architecture, advertising and film and television.

“Exposure to the arts also provides a creative vehicle that can help students to develop valuable life skills like creative problem-solving, communication and a capacity for self-expression.”

Mr Welford said the award-winning artworks would be exhibited at the Queensland Art Gallery next year before the exhibition toured regional art galleries across Queensland.

The 2007 Education Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art recipients are as follows:

Greater Brisbane
David Cartier, St Laurence’s College
Warwick Cowley, Villanova College
Elizabeth Dean, Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Fiona Gibson, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School
Lauren Gray, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School
Laetitia Grice, Somerville House
Edward Haworth, Wavell State High School
Olivia Lam, Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Michael Lawler, Marist College Ashgrove
Natalie Jones, St Paul’s School
Sam Sargaison, Kelvin Grove State College
Alex Torpy, Brisbane State High School
Amy Cloumassis, Carmel College