Walking into the MGH last Friday night for the opening of the Carey Art and Design Exhibition was a truly wonderful experience. Backed by a curtain with miniature lights, the hall was full of a most impressive, diverse and engaging collection of art.
During the evening, I had many conversations with students and parents about pieces they were drawn to. While the works demonstrated a high level of technical expertise, in many cases, these conversations were about the thinking behind the pieces, and insights about aspects of life which the works reflected.
I was very fortunate to be able to select a piece of work for display in Senior School.
The work I chose was created by Year 12 student Claire Z. It consists of two parts and is a fine example of work which is both visually appealing and conveys important meaning. More than that, I was drawn to the work because it also challenged me to think about schooling.
One part represents a situation I see at times and which I describe as being really unfair – when a student who cares so much about their work, that they keep refining it but are unable to bring themselves to complete a task.
The other part was initially confronting to me because it is accompanied by a suggestion along the lines that schools stifle creativity. This is an unsettling view, and one I have heard before.
After grappling with the sentiment, I came to realise the work itself, just as the work on display in the exhibition shows clearly that not all creativity has been squashed.
There are many other examples of creativity being alive and well. The Jazz in the Quad concert the day before the exhibition opened and the Carey Poetry Evening are two examples which readily come to mind. So too the times when students make connections between topics for themselves, pose unexpected questions and or solutions to questions that arise in class.
If you missed the exhibition this year, I encourage you to look out for it next year.
Graeme Young
Acting Head of Senior School
