Visual Art at St. Bernadette’s Primary School is planned and assessed in accordance to the Victorian Curriculum F-10. Visual Art is studied by all students from Prep to Year 6.  Students participate in a one hour specialist session for two terms of the school year.

Visual Art is an exciting time as students explore and express ideas, practice art making skills, respond to and interpret the art of others and themselves and present their artworks.

In exploring and expressing ideas, students may inquire about an artist, style or a specific technique, for example the process of printmaking. Students might explore the artwork of an artist currently on exhibition in the National Gallery of Victoria or ideas that originate from a class based inquiry. Students also provide ideas generated from their own areas of interest.

Visual art practices allow students to participate in a range of art making.  This involves practicing many fine motor skills including drawing, etching, modelling, collaging, constructing and painting. Using the fundamental visual conventions of colour, texture, line, space and shape students participate in a diverse range of art experiences. Students use a variety of materials in their art making, including textiles, assorted papers, modeling clay, Magiclay, wire, balsa wood, paints, pastel pencil, foam and digital technology.

Responding to and interpreting art or art making, allows students to develop a deeper understanding of visual art. Students might be invited to respond through discussion about the subject matter of an art piece, what they see, how it makes them feel, or questions that it evokes. Students might reflect on their own art work, the inspiration or how it was created. Students might also respond by creating their own unique art as part an artist or art movement study.

Sharing student success in art making is very important at our school. Presenting and displaying the unique creations of our students around our school is a celebration of their talents. Art work is displayed around the school for all to view before it is taken home to be shared with family.  Student art is also entered into various exhibitions within the wider community such as the Catholic Education Visual Arts Exhibition. We also hold our “Showcase of Creativity”.  We are very proud of the art work our students create at St. Bernadette’s Primary School and delightfully share in the joy of their successes through this expressive area of the curriculum. For as Picasso said: “Every child is an artist…”