Education & Arts

The Hon. Anna Bligh MP

10 March 2005

Student Artwork Exhibited at Queensland Art Gallery

The outstanding talent of 47 senior visual art students from across the state will be showcased in the Education Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art touring exhibition opening at the Queensland Art Gallery tonight.

Minister for Education and the Arts Anna Bligh, will officially open the exhibition that promotes excellence in senior visual art throughout the state and non-state schooling sector.

Ms Bligh said the exhibition demonstrates some of the most outstanding examples of art produced by the state's 15,000 senior visual arts students.

"This annual exhibition, established in 1990, provides the opportunity for the wider community to view the diverse and innovative art being produced in Queensland's secondary schools," she said. "It is a great honour for these students to have their work exhibited at the Queensland Art Gallery, I congratulate them and their art teachers, they have every right to be proud."

"The awards have helped to raise community awareness of the degree of sophistication in concepts, diversity of technical competence, and the high standard of programs in Queensland high schools," she said.

Ms Bligh said the awards provided an opportunity for students to be recognised by the tertiary sector. Previous exhibitors have gone on to study at university or undertake careers in the arts.

"Many of these talented young people will continue to develop their artistic abilities beyond secondary education and will become the state's future artists," Ms Bligh said.

District exhibitions were held throughout the state during August and September last year and from those the 47 young artists were selected for the central exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery.

The exhibition will be on display until 29 May 2005 and will then tour 10 regional galleries across the state over approximately 12 months.

The Education Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art is organised by the Department of Education and the Arts with support from the Queensland Art Gallery and Museum and Gallery Services Queensland.

Media Contact: Shari Armistead 3235 4593

**List of students whose work is exhibited at the Queensland Art Gallery follows.

Student's Name Student's School

Stephen Alexander Whitsunday Anglican School

Shona Arendshorst St Ursula's College

Sophie Armstrong Pimlico State High School

Miriam Borg Sarina State High School

Damien Caine Ayr State High School

Jackson Cheng Cavendish Road State High School

Angelo Conway Emmaus College

Robert Cooper St John's College

Jessica Cuddihy Whitsunday Anglican School

Paavi Davidson MacGregor State High School

Gay Dayday Pimlico State High School

Chloe Dunlop Somerville House

Melissa Ede Shailer Park State High School

Kylie Ellis Toowoomba State High School

Hiro Fusakawa John Paul College

Renee Gibb Mountain Creek State High School

Oliver Gill Brisbane Boys' College

Gemma Hallett Helensvale State High School

Thomas Hanson St Joseph's College

Megan Jensen Bundaberg State High School

Megan Jones Mackay State High School

Cameron Kapernick Bundaberg State High School

Allia King Trinity Bay State High School

Cheloena King Burnside State High School

Karolinka Koleczko St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Jamie Lau Trinity Bay State High School

Lee La Motta St Joseph's Nudgee College

Gavan McAllister Pine Rivers State High School

Danielle McFarland A B Paterson College

Lisa McGowan Tully State High School

Pierre Medeiros Brisbane State High School

Claire Murphy Mt Isa Catholic High School

Eric Nash Kirwan State High School

Emily Nelson Corinda State High School

Lara Nobel Brisbane State High School

Anthea Pedley Trinity Bay State High School

Elise Plumbley Wynnum State High School

Matthew Rose Iona College

Robert Scawthorn West Moreton Anglican College

Erika Scott Rockhampton Girls' Grammar School

Michelle Slatter Chinchilla State High School

Dan Sleeman The Southport School

Jenna Thompson St Stephen's College

Maxine Thompson Matthew Flinders' Anglican College

Maya Walker Yeppoon State High School

Saphia Wardrope St John's School

Jennifer Zahn North Bundaberg State High