Judging the next generation

THE Art Gallery of Ballarat received two special guests last Thursday as external judges wandered the halls to decide the winners of the 22nd annual Next Gen exhibit.

Now open to the public, the event showcases works from VCE students across the region, with a varied range of styles and themes.

A panel of three in-house judges sorted through 150 entries of which 38 pieces between 34 artists were chosen to exhibit.

One of the judges, gallery education officer Kate Gorman, said the event provides a great resource in getting young people a step up in their creative pursuits.

“It’s great for schools and for the general public to see what students out there are achieving at a senior level and the creativity and excellence,” she said.

“The skills of students are growing over the years and that’s showing in the work that’s on display.”

With the exhibit entries decided, artists Dr Anindita Banerjee and Koji Hoashi were brought in to determine which works would receive awards.

The show comprises two halls within the gallery, and Banerjee said that with so many different styles to compare against each other, the judging process has proved challenging.

“There’s such variety,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful collection of so many complex topics. This has been a really difficult job to do.”

The awards range across three categories including creativity, innovation, and excellence, with entries being judged on technique and personal expression.

Hoashi said their assessments of each piece will go beyond the quality of the visuals, and that they will take the meaning behind each piece into account as well.

“All the students will have spent so much time thinking about their approach, and so we try to understand just what was going through their minds when creating the piece as well,” he said.

Although there is no specific theme for the exhibits, Ms Gorman said this year’s entries highlights the tenacity and resilience of the community’s creative youths.

“The last two years have really demonstrated how exceptional young people are in their ability to cope with challenging times,” she said.