Visual Arts
Under the guidance of our talented art teachers, the light-filled studios of the Creativity Centre are where beautiful artworks begin.
The arts play an increasingly important creative and social force in modern life. Our visual arts program encourages individual thinking and offers opportunities to engage in the creative process. Visual arts has the power to enrich our lives, challenge our perspectives and bring us closer together as a community.
Within our cutting-edge studios, students have the unique opportunity to utilise professional-grade printing presses, a well-equipped photography studio featuring a variety of film and camera equipment, a dedicated green screen facility, an extensive collection of high-quality art and design materials, and suites of iMacs specifically designed for creating stunning designs using the Adobe Suite.
Using the wealth of facilities on offer, students are encouraged to embrace creativity, to push boundaries and to use their art to make a positive impact on the world. Artistry is the foundation upon which the best thinkers build; being inventive and capable of generating new ideas is a sought-after skill in the workforce.
Fostering a Love of Creativity
In the Early Years, the visual arts program aims to foster a love of creativity, self-expression and learning using a variety of materials and techniques through a range of media. It helps to engage students in critical and creative thinking so they can understand themselves and the world. The content covered in the Early Years comes directly from the student’s interests and ideas, which helps to foster enjoyment and pride in what is created.
In Eblana, we embrace and celebrate art in all its diverse forms, adorning our classrooms and corridors with captivating artworks. Additionally, we hold a biannual art show where students from ELC to Year 4 have the opportunity to showcase their creative masterpieces, allowing the entire community to appreciate and delight in their talent.
Development of Diverse Skills
As they progress to the Middle Years (Years 5-8), teacher-initiated explorations enable students to develop specialised skills in a range of art forms such as drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, digital photography, mixed media and design. There is a focus on students learning to work through the creative process to develop final artworks as they learn to analyse and interpret the way that artists communicate their ideas.
As students enter Year 9, they have the option to select Art, Media, and Visual Communication Design as an elective, which serves as a pathway towards their VCE subjects, enabling students to explore and develop their artistic skills further. Students develop their imagination as well as refining their practical and fine motor skills. They learn to make choices when experimenting with materials, tools and techniques and gain an appreciation of well-known artists.
Specialisations
Once reaching the Senior Years (Year 10-12), students can begin to specialise in specific electives such as Art Creative Practice, Media, and Visual Communication Design. As they explore, expand and investigate these subjects, students progressively build and develop their skills in imaginative and creative ways.
Senior students may also attend weekly studio after school sessions, supported by the dedicated Visual Arts faculty, which gives students the opportunity to produce their work within the wonderful materials and equipment and facilities of the Creativity Centre. During these sessions, students can build upon their folios in the following three subjects:
Art Creative Practice is a VCE subject which provides students with the opportunity to explore their artistic skills such as drawing, painting, photography, print making and sculpture. Students learn to pose and solve problems, and work independently and collaboratively, to create and convey meaning through art making. Students develop skills in research, art history and critical theory to analyse, interpret and debate the ideas and issues that are raised by artworks and by artists in their practice.
Media is a VCE subject which provides students with the opportunity to gain a critical understanding of media and understand their role as both producers and consumers of media products. Students explore how media constructs and reflects reality, as well as how audiences engage with, consume, read, create, and produce media products. They have the opportunity to experience, produce, and analyze various formats in media, including photography, film and television, radio and podcasting, animation, and print media.
Visual Communication Design is a VCE subject where students explore how designers visually communicate concepts through messages, objects, environments, and interactive experiences. Students work collaboratively and independently to identify and address design problems, making improvements to services, systems, spaces, and places experienced by stakeholders. Additionally, students create models, prototypes, and utilise software such as the Adobe Suite to produce testing and final presentations that effectively communicate their design ideas.