Throughout Summer Term 2015 Stanley Picker Gallery is collaborating with King Athelstan Primary School in Kingston upon Thames to deliver a weekly ‘Art Club’ and whole-class workshops for children at key stage 2.
During the programme, with workshops tailored to meet the interests and requirements of individual groups, young artists have been learning about contemporary artist and designers practice, influences and creative processes, while sharing their individual interpretations, ideas and personal preoccupations through free-writing, drawing, collage and discussion. Each artist has chosen an area to ‘research’ further ranging from the design and destruction of nature, to the mind of a minecraft gamer, our emotional connection to sound to physical negotiation of a basketball court. Our mid-project showcase, titled Research Room, reveals a selection of the artworks created and ‘research’ undertaken so far – including sketches, sculpture, notes and noise.
The Gallery team have been intrigued and impressed by all, and hope that you will join us in investigating their discoveries and designs to date in person at the Gallery (until 13 June) on online via googlemaps. A final presentation will be made during the International Youth Arts Festival 2015.
Alongside contemplation of their personal practice, pupils have visited Streetscape – Stanley Picker Fellow in Design Fabien Cappello’s vibrant new installation of protoype street furniture, sited both within the Gallery and around Kingston town centre. We made a special trip to the 3D workshops at Kingston University, where many of the Gallery’s Fellows experiment and make their work, alongside students. This was very exciting and to top it off we were lucky enough to watch the new plasma laser cutter in action! Later, the group returned to explore the 2015 Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture Degree Show where they researched ideas for presentation of their own works. Particular highlights included Illustration, Product Design and Fine Art.
King Athelstan is a two-form entry community primary that teaches children to ‘take risks and ask brilliant questions’ – and very popular with use at the Gallery, have named each of their classes after artists. The artists who are exhibiting in The Lobby at Stanley Picker Gallery are all members of Ultimate Art Club, which is supported by Class 5 (Van Gogh) teacher Laura Meggitt and TA, Miss Tietz.