Creative Classrooms: workshops, programs and initiatives

The following is a breakdown of the major programs and initiatives conducted under the Creative Classrooms strategy. The following programs only encompass the major activities which are undertaken by Gallery Services during the 2012/2013 period.

Art-in-a-Suitcase

Gallery Services initiated the Art-in-a-Suitcase program for the first time during the 2012/2013 period. Two local artists, Anna Mango and Joanne Gerke, were contracted to deliver this program to participating primary schools within the Townsville region. The artists selected works from the City of Townsville Art Collection which were then packaged to best practice museum standards in a suitcase. The artists devised art workshops to compliment the artworks and then visited 13 schools within the Townsville region where they delivered artworks to 402 students. The artworks created during these sessions were curated into two exhibitions at Pinnacles Gallery and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery.

ArtNOW

The ArtNOW program is a major exhibition deliverable undertaken each year at Pinnacles Gallery. ArtNOW is currently run in conjunction with Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art and is a major drawcard for the Gallery’s program. Gallery Services launched ArtNOW in response to the QLD Governments gradual cessation of funds for its Creative Generations programs.

Senior students are invited to submit “best practice” artworks in an exhibition at Pinnacles Gallery for display as part of the school curriculum. All creative arts students are eligible whether they are student OP strands or non-OP strands.

ArtNOW had a total number of 4285 visitors during the 26-day exhibition.

Artists-in-Schools

The Artist-in-Schools program continued during the 2012/2013 period being delivered to Kirwan State High School, William Ross State High School, Thuringowa State High School, Oonoonba State School and St Patrick’s College, The Strand. This program facilitates high level hands-on arts education by engaging a local artist to work with teachers and students at a Townsville region high school. Gallery Services employs the artist to work at the school over an extended period to develop an exhibition deliverable with teachers and students. The artworks created within this period then form an exhibition at either Perc Tucker Regional Gallery or Pinnacles Gallery, where the students’ achievement is celebrated.

Creative Classroom E-news

Each Term during 2013, Gallery Services delivered an e-news bulletin targeting teachers with the latest exhibitions and programs that Pinnacles Gallery and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery were offering.

Education Resource Kits

Gallery Services continued to provide high quality, in-house education kits to unpack and guide teachers and students through the exhibitions on show at each of the galleries. These kits, produced by the education and design teams were created in response to exhibitions and designed with reference to the Department of education and Training, Queensland’s Visual Art Syllabus. Education kits were available for download from the Gallery websites as well as hard copies available in both Galleries.

Guest Lecture Series

The Guest Lecture Series builds on Gallery Service’s exhibition program at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and Pinnacles Gallery by taking high profile visitors into our high schools to deliver artist talks to senior school students. During the 2012/2013 period the Guest Lecture Series saw leading figures with the arts industry such as George Gittoes, Stephen Dupont, HA-HA (Regan Tamanui) and Adrian Davies and Lubi Thomas visit William Ross State High School, Pimlico High School, Kirwan State High School, Townsville Grammar School and Townsville State High School.

Qata

Queensland Art Teachers Association (QATA) meetings are held twice a term at Pinnacles Gallery, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and Umbrella Studios. These meetings provide an opportunity for art teachers to meet, collaborate and engage with the arts sector. During these meetings Gallery Services conducts evaluation and feedback sessions to inform its Creative Classrooms programs and strategies.

U3a

Held each month, University of the Third Age (U3A) members are provided a personalised guided tour of current exhibitions at Pinnicles Gallery and Perc Tucker Regional Gallery and a morning tea.