The who’s who of Canberra’s scholastic art world mingled today over finger food and orange juice for the official opening of Step into the Limelight art exhibition at M16 Artspace.
It could have been the Tate in London for all anybody knew, as the calibre of paintings, drawings, photography and more – from pre-schoolers to Year 12 – was outstanding.
It was a pupil-free day for some but students came to the launch anyway to witness the largest youth arts event in the ACT that attracts more than 2,000 students from 65 public schools.
Today’s young artists are a credit to the public education system, delivering high-quality art in ceramics, collage, textiles and wood and metal craft.
Their talent is well beyond their years and is a testament to Australia’s free education system and dedicated teachers, who have spent months working closely with professional artists, tertiary institutions and arts organisations to develop their masterpieces.
Some students even helped to hang the artworks to learn more about curating in the art world. At the jam-packed opening there was little room to move as hordes of budding artists from all walks of life viewed their peers’ work and shared their ideas and inspiration.
Step into the Limelight is much more than an art exhibition for ACT public schools, it covers the five art forms of dance, drama, media, music and visual art.
What began in 2007, has grown to become the largest youth arts event in the ACT delivering outstanding artistic works for two events: today’s art exhibition and a gala showcase in September.
During opening speeches, it was mentioned that art was what separates humans from animals. These young students are a perfect example of what is in our very nature – creative expression. It didn’t matter which uniform they wore or who won an award, today’s art collection was a pure expression of imagination.
The theme for the is year’s art exhibition is “Our Time” and judging from the high standard of this year’s Step into the Limelight, the time for this generation is now.
Step into the Limelight is at M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith until August 4. Gallery Hours are Wednesday to Sunday 12 – 5pm.
