In December, 2012 TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute (WSI) unveiled the first Sydney commuter bus featuring the works of local visual arts students from the Nepean Arts and Design Centre (NADC) at Nepean TAFE, Kingswood College.
The moving art gallery, which was unveiled by the Director of Penrith Regional Gallery and The Lewers Bequest, Dr Lee-Ann Hall, will travel through Penrith, Mt Druitt, The Hills and Blacktown, for the next three months, showcasing self-portraits by WSI students from the Western Sydney region.
Members of the local community are invited to vote for their favourite self-portrait from a sample of 2011 and 2012 graduates from Visual Arts courses via NADC’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/wsi.
Cecelia Cilesio, TAFE – WSI’s Director Education, Arts, Media and Entertainment said the initiative is a celebration of Western Sydney’s young artists and provides an opportunity to showcase local talent.
“The bus will act as a moving art gallery that displays our students’ creativity and inspiration throughout their local communities.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our student artists to have their work seen by such a large audience, particularly for the winner of the ‘People’s Choice’ competition, who will see their artwork displayed in a high-profile and high-traffic gallery.”
The artworks were created as part of NADC’s annual Me Myself and I project hosted in the College’s Trapezium Gallery, and features self-portrait images from students and staff.
Robert Musgrave, a former NADC student who is now continuing his visual arts studies at UNSW said that studying visual arts with TAFE – WSI’s Nepean Arts and Design Centre has been invaluable for him.
“Studying at TAFE – WSI gave me an opportunity to try my hand at a number of artistic disciplines, all within an extremely positive environment. This created a fertile ground for learning, in which I was free to explore and discover my own artistic direction. The teaching staff always managed to guide me in a personal and approachable way,” Robert said.
NADC offers a range of full-time and part-time study options in visual arts and contemporary craft and ceramics with courses taught by artists with strong and current exhibition practices. Online enrolments are now open for 2013 courses.
The ‘People’s Choice’ moving art gallery bus is currently travelling around Greater Western suburbs of Sydney.
The ‘People’s Choice’ winning artwork will be exhibited at the Penrith Regional Gallery and The Lewers Bequest in February 2013.
Images:
1. People’s Choice moving art gallery bus
2. People’s Choice moving art gallery bus with students
