Several items on display last week at the Ministry of Education’s art and craft exhibition could easily replace “some of those Made in China” retail items in the view of Jacqueline Richardson, the education officer responsible for business, who chaired the exhibition committee.
The paintings, textiles, craft, bead work, needle point and other items on display came from throughout the public school system; in particular Jennings Secondary, Antigua Grammar, All Saints Secondary, Ottos Comprehensive, Clare Hall Secondary, St Mary’s, Antigua Girls High, and Pares Secondary schools. It is an impressive showing in Richardson’s view, with another component being an exhibition of student fashion by AGHS, CHSS, JSS, and Pares.
What was lacking was popular support. As the list shows, only a handful of the schools participated, and none of the private schools did though all were reportedly invited. And in spite of the media push by the organisers, reportedly, word of the exhibition was not widespread, nor did family members of exhibiting students come out to support in significant numbers.
“We didn’t have a lot of turn out,” Richardson said, in what surely must be the understatement of the year, as we looked around the largely empty exhibition area at the Multipurpose Centre.
“For what was done, the turnout wasn’t good enough.”
It would have been an opportunity for parents to see their students’ progress, sort of an open house on a national scale.
It would have been an opportunity as well for the general public to see not only the work of finalising students prepping their work for CXC but of students throughout the school system, first through fifth. It is the first time, Richardson said, that the works have been displayed on such a grand scale, as normally it is done at the school level.
But now that they have, with a few tweaks to improve participation and support, they hope to make it an annual thing. Those improvements could include prizes for the best in show, with sponsor support; greater publicity to generate greater public support; and an earlier start to create more school involvement.
The idea is to showcase the work being done in the schools in what is, in Richardson’s view, the often underappreciated area of the creative – and specifically – the visual arts.
She was herself particularly impressed with the liberal use of indigenous items which, per her comment re the proliferation of foreign-made items in retail trade, could have served “as an example to vendors selling to tourists.”
In addition to jewelry made of beads, fish scales and other items found in nature, there were sandals embellished with the madras, and quilts and teddy bears, and other keepsakes made in Antigua.
The stand-out art work had Richardson speculating that there may be future artists in the bunch, as well. The business side of her sees the potential in the students using these skills in the areas of arts and crafts either to create a main or supplemental income for themselves down the road.
But she stressed for them to get there, it is important for parents especially to support initiatives such as these and she said, be proud of their pieces, “put it up in your work place … show them up.”
(Source http://www.antiguaobserver.com/?p=71108)
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