What it's like to be at the top
by Sian van Dyk
What it’s like to be at the top - Top Secondary Schools Art from the Manawatū
Way back at the start of 2009, one of the first things I thought when I heard we were putting secondary school student art in a downstairs gallery (one of the cooler ones even) was “Man I wish I could have had my art in a real gallery when I was in year 13!”
We really wanted to do something different to show off the fresh talent coming out of our schools. After all, Te Manawa is not only here to be a window on the world but also as a showcase of all the people and things that are a part of the Manawatū
Following endless experiments, Nathan our designer came up with something pretty flash. Imagine thirty of those portfolios which students spend their final year slaving over, suspended mid air from the ceiling in a koru like shape. There they hover as if all the hard work has caused some kind of ascension onto a higher level.
Now it’s a year later and I guess everyone else thought it was a pretty good look too because we’re doing it again! This time we are receiving folios of design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture which have come from Palmerston North Girls and Boys High Schools’, Awatapu College, Freyberg High School, Nga Tawa Diocesan School, Longburn Adventist College and Queen Elizabeth College.
This exhibition is unique because usually we only see the finished product, but this show gives you an insight into how an artist’s mind works. As you wander around the spiral design, take some time to reflect on the process students go through to get to their final pieces. Imagine what these guys are going to be doing with all their creative energy as they head into the future!
Two things to remember with this exhibition;
One - be sure to head upstairs and check the view from the top.
Two - keep an eye out for a new competition we’re running called Close up, where an entry form and close up of one of the student’s work will be in the Tribune on the 21st of February. If you come in with your entry form and figure out which one it is, you go into a draw to win something special.
Top Secondary Art from the Manawatū could also not be possible with out the hard work of MATA – The Manawatū Art Teachers Association, so big thanks to your group and all the support you give to your students. Look forward to seeing you here!
Sian
Assistant Curator
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