Thank you all so much for helping create a smooth transition back to on-campus learning. Please read the information sent out about the relocation of the uniform shop and our new carpark now in action. Please remember while we are all excited to see each other it is still important we socially distance, even in the car park, to keep us all healthy so we can enjoy the rest of term together.
In other very exciting news I wanted to fill you all in on some Art progress. Our aim is to breathe life into the Secondary Art building and bring it back into use for 2021. For those unlike me who have not had the privilege of exploring this beautiful building it contains three wet/dry studios and an art gallery. Art was a big focus for the previous owners of the school and the building in its heyday must have been exquisite. The outside was based on Piet Mondrian’s work. You will recognise his work immediately, largely made up of blocks of primary colours and black lines. Inside there was clearly a large focus on pottery, ceramics and screenprinting. While it will take us some time to get the building up to standard as it has been empty for a long time now, we are mindful of restoring it to its original grandeur and are very excited. We work closely with Heritage Victoria to respect the original architecture and purpose, but we’re also able to upgrade the technology within those parameters. Watching the art teachers across campus see the kiln and the working pottery wheels was like watching children in a candy store.
In our explorations we came across a few paintings that had been completed by students or staff of the previous college, Mowbray. One of the charming pieces we found was by Jen Tyquin (pictured). Through our heritage contacts we have been able to get in touch with Jen, who was not only a student at the school but also the art teacher on campus from 2001-9. In her time since leaving Jen has taught at a couple of other schools, and pointed that Heathdale has the best facilities she’s ever worked in. It makes us even more eager to open up the space to students.
Jen came in to collect her art piece, and it was wonderful to hear her stories and share how the College is progressing today. What a privilege for our College to be able to give back to the community and reconnect those with what they have lost. We look forward to performing more of these reunions as we keep renovating and reopening parts of the campus for our students, and inviting Jen back for the Secondary Arts building launch.