Recipient of this year’s SWDAF Award for Excellence in Visual Arts Teaching at the Art Express exhibition at AGNSW.

Bossley Park High School, winners of the Dobell Excellence in Visual Arts Teaching Award, Art Express 2016

Visual Arts teachers at Bossley Park High School say they are honoured to receive the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation Award for the schools success in Artexpress.

The foundation is the official patron of Artexpress, an annual exhibition that features the best major works submitted by HSC art students. Last year the school had five students selected –the highest amount in south-west Sydney – and now the teachers are being rewarded for their hard work.

Former head art teacher and now deputy principal Ann-Maree Ager said the high quality of student work could be partly attributed to a gifted and talented program she started with the help of colleague Melanie Duff.

“Six years ago we initiated a gifted and talented program,” she said.

“We’ve been running that program for six years and this class is the first group of years sevens to get through to year 12 so that’s partly why they’re so great.

“We actually had workshops after school with specialist teachers such as Ty who’s great at drawing.

“We did a lot of skill building over the six years so by the time they got to senior class they were masters.”

Relieving head art teacher Melanie Duff said the students were working beyond their stages, and hopes the program will continue to help art students improve their craft.

“One thing that we do differently than other faculties and other schools is that we work collaboratively as a department,” Ms Ager said.

“It’s not just ‘it’s my class so I’ll shut the door and it’s my time with those students’, we have an open door policy so everyone’s always in and out.

“We can play off each other and we basically have a wider breadth of knowledge that we can share with the kids.

The Visual arts faculty will be presented with the award at the Sponsors’ Preview event at the Art Gallery of NSW on Wednesday night.

As Deputy Principal, Ms Ager will now work to roll out collaborative teaching with other departments throughout the school.

“It’s wonderful to get the recognition for the work we’re doing out here for public education,” she said.

“It’s really good to have some acknowledgement that our program is successful.”

From the Bossley Park High School Website