Students lead colourful school makeover

THREE bold and bright murals celebrating the core values of Torquay College now take pride of place on the side of the school’s gymnasium, thanks to the creativity and determination of the school’s student art leaders.

Designed and painted by the arts students, with guidance from local artist Kate Smedley, the works represent the college’s values of friendship, respect and doing your best.

The murals transform what had previously only appeared on small posters into large-scale public artworks visible to the whole school community.

Arts student, Issy, said the prominent location of the artworks was a source of pride for the group.

“It feels pretty cool to see all the kids, especially the younger ones, when you walk by and they’re all up close looking at it and running their hands along,” she said.

 

“It’s pretty amazing just to know that we changed the school, even just a little bit.”

Fellow student, Autumn, celebrated the opportunity to make the school “more bright and colourful” and the impact arts teacher Ben Reid has had on the group.

“He’s made some really great changes to our school,” she said. “Bringing us along and getting us to make ideas has been really great, and we’ve got so much more colour and fun things to do in school.”

The group of Grade 5 and 6 arts students spent weeks planning, stencilling and painting during lunchtime sessions, using a combination of house paint, acrylics and spray paint to create the murals.

 

Abstract splatter techniques inspired by Jackson Pollock feature heavily in the Doing Your Best piece, while the Friendship piece, which depicts a beach scene, is a nod to the landscape works of American painter, Bob Ross.

The project forms part of the student-driven Torquay College Makeover initiative, which aims to refresh ageing areas of the school and inspire others to contribute ideas.

Like most of her peers, arts student Dakota, hopes the group’s efforts will encourage others to get creative and support their school.

“I’m really happy and proud about what we’ve done, and I feel like it’s something that will stay with the school for a long time,” she said.

Autumn added: “Seeing and listening to all the people talking about [the murals], I feel like it has inspired some people to go ahead and be really creative and just get messy when they’re doing art and just have fun with it.”