How exhibition enhances education
Lara Campbell
Bachelor of Arts student
Avondale College of Higher Education
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Three Avondale visual arts lecturers have found that exhibiting their work in regional galleries enhances their effectiveness as educators.
Richard Morris and Aaron Bellette.
Aaron Bellette and Dr Richard Morris drew inspiration for Lake Edge from their shared experience of living on Lake Macquarie. The exhibition, which concluded at Art System Wickham’s gallery on August 25, merged abstract images from Aaron’s photography alongside Richard’s assemblages.
Jill Stowell, who writes about art for Newcastle’s The Herald, described Aaron’s long exposure photography of washed up debris as “windows into a mythic universe” and Richard’s recycled wood assemblages as showing “a rare sensitivity for weathered colours and textures.”
Meanwhile, the Central Coast Grammar School selected Andy Collis as featured artist for its annual art show this past weekend. Andy took with him paintings from an exhibition—currently on display in the Joanne Felk Gallery on Avondale’s Lake Macquarie campus—he created for his PhD. The thesis accompanying The Human Touch? examines the value of the artist–sitter relationship to contemporary portraiture. “I hope to show how time and engagement with an individual facilitate an intimacy and conveyance of human spirit in a tangible way.”
Andy and Aaron see exhibiting and studying art as complimentary to their teaching. “It’s important I practice what I preach,” says Andy. “It stops me from stagnating and gives me new things to pass on.” And engaging with students means “we have to be engaging in our own art making,” adds Aaron.