Program In Focus

Art-In-A-Suitcase

Gallery Services initiated the Art-In-A-Suitcase program for the first time during the 2012/2013 period. Since its inception, this program has employed local artists to deliver this program to participating primary schools within the Townsville Region.

During 2013/2014 Gallery Services engaged Alison McDonald, Aaron Ashley, Anna Mango and Damian Anthony to visit participating schools and impart artistic skills that would otherwise not be provided in the classroom.

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 respond to the artworks, and delivered one workshop at each school in the Townsville region.

In total, the artists visited 31 schools within the Townsville region where they delivered artworks and art workshops to approximately 1 034 students.

Stemming from the workshops students developed their own artworks throughout the school term, to be curated into an exhibition at either Pinnacles Gallery or Perc Tucker Regional Gallery.

This program provides a priceless experience for these students to view and learn about significant artists by viewing these works in a close classroom environment.

During 2013/2014 Gallery Services made a concerted effort to better access and deliver this program to ALL primary schools in the Townsville region, by forming stronger and more professional relationships with primary school teachers and their students.

This is being realised through refining the product of this program and presenting it to teachers in a concise lesson plan which clearly outlines the intent of the program, aligning the content with the primary school curriculum and art elements.

Furthermore, Gallery Services initiated a number of visits to the schools by members of staff and Townsville City Council Councillors, to further reinforce the support and opportunities available to them and to monitor the program for continued development.

These initiatives have resulted in a 31.5% increase in participation of schools in the Townsville region since 2012/2013. Currently, 31 of the 40 primary schools in the Townsville region have participated in the Art-In-A-Suitcase program and with every instalment of this program this number is increasing. Gallery Services is striving towards a 100% participation rate and with such an increase evident during this period, this seems a realistic target.

With almost all schools in the Townsville region participating in this program during 2013/2014, there is a short list of primary schools still yet to take up the opportunity to connect with the City of Townsville Art Collection and local artists through the Art-In-A-Suitcase program.

Art-In-A-Suitcase

Participating Schools

+ Aitkenvale State School

+ Belgian Gardens State School

+ Bluewater State School

+ Calvary Christian College

+ Cranbrook State School

+ Currajong State School

+ Good Shepherd Catholic Community School

+ Heatley State School

+ Hermit Park State School

+ Holy Spirit School

+ Kirwan State School

+ Magnetic Island State School

+ Mundingburra State School

+ Mutarnee State School

+ Oonoonba State School

+ Rasmussen State School

+ Rollingstone State School

+ Ryan Catholic College

+ Shalom Christian College

+ Southern Cross Catholic School

+ St Clare’s Catholic School

+ St Joseph’s School Mundingburra

+ St Joseph’s School North Ward

+ The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James

+ Townsville Christian College

+ Townsville Grammar School

+ Townsville South State School

+ Townsville West State School

+ Vincent State School

+ Weir State School

+ Wulguru State School

Schools yet to participate

+ Annandale Christian College

+ Bohlevale State School

+ Garbutt State School

+ Kelso State School

+ Railway Estate State School

+ St Anthony’s Catholic College

+ The Willows State School

+ Townsville Central State School

+ Woodstock State School

Opposite from top to bottom: Damian Anthony delivering Art-In-A-Suitcase program to students of Mutarnee State School 2014

Anna Mango delivering Art-In-A-Suitcase program to students of Mundingburra State School 2014

Above:

Students undertaking a “blind contour drawing” exercise at Townsville Grammar School