I warmly welcome the return of our School community for the final term of this year.

VCE Art Exhibition

Friday 11 October, 6.00pm-8.00pm
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 October, 2.00pm-4.00pm
Dorothy Pizzey Centre

Members of the School community are invited to attend the VCE Art Exhibition commencing this evening with the official opening by our 2019 Artist in Residence and St Catherine’s Old Girl, Lisa Roet (‘84).

The Exhibition includes works from our Studio Arts, Media and Visual Communication subjects, with the talent of our VCE students clearly visible for all. Art making requires a level of courage; young artists are encouraged to take a deep dive and explore their authentic feelings, beliefs and responses to the world around them.

An oil piece created by Year 11 student Margaret Handolias, which will be on display at the VCE Art Exhibition.

I am always in awe of the capability of our girls, and the Arts Faculty students are no exception. At St Catherine’s, art education requires students to be inspired. They engage with other artists and ideas in the art world both from our time and from history. In Mathematics classes, we find stability and certainty; there is usually one ‘correct’ answer. The Arts is so much more open-ended. Students learn to communicate in a realm that is more intuitive, emotional, unknown and personal.

A lino block print prepared by Alice McCleery (Year 11) in Unit 2 Studio Arts.

In art education, students closely document their creative process, with their portfolios also on display at the Exhibition. The girls have worked with intention and learned valuable skills of discernment and reflection. We know these skills will serve them well in the future. At its best, art education gives students the opportunity to develop creative thinking and the confidence to pursue ideas not yet fully formed, then dare to express them. None of this is easy to do. It requires focus, time, skills and respect to nourish their creativity.

The Year 12 girls have undoubtedly enjoyed their journey within the Arts Faculty at St Catherine’s and it is a joy for teachers to see their spirits come to life as they connect to their creativity. I commend for all a stroll through the Exhibition this weekend.

SCOGA Gift to the School

The School was thrilled to recently receive a generous gift from the St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA) in the form of a magnificent bronze statue of chimpanzee hands crafted beautifully by St Catherine’s 2019 Artist in Residence and Old Girl, Lisa Roet (‘84). The statue, which also doubles as a garden seat, is located adjacent to the Mary Davis Centre.

Lisa spoke of her work and life as an artist at our Senior School Assembly this week. Her collaboration with Dr Jane Goodall for the 60^th anniversary of her first research on primates was a fitting tribute to our celebration of Dr Goodall’s visit this year. Dr Goodall asked Lisa to create a model of David Greybeard, the first chimpanzee that gained her trust. This 20 metre art piece will be displayed at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Conference in 2020 and on the face of the United Nations Building in New York. The piece will then tour around the world. Lisa has received funding from Creative Victoria for this project.

St Catherine’s 2019 Artist in Residence and Old Girl, Lisa Roet (’84), with our Year 9 Accelerated Biology class.

It is certainly timely that we have received our very own installation by Lisa at School. As a Melbourne based artist and St Catherine’s Old Girl, it is wonderful to hear of her growing international reputation.

We are also most appreciative to SCOGA and their President, Chrissy Ryan (Graham ’79), for their support and recognition of Lisa as an emerging world artist. This is in addition to the contribution to the collection of beautiful artworks at the School. The garden surrounds of the statue is still to be completed, and we look forward to an official unveiling by SCOGA and Lisa in the coming weeks.

More information about Lisa’s David Greybeard art piece can be found here.

You can listen to Lisa’s address to the Senior School Assembly here.

Years 7 to 12 Speech Night

Melbourne Town Hall
Wednesday 20 November 2019, 6.30pm

The School looks forward to celebrating the achievements of our Senior School students on Wednesday 20 November, at our annual Years 7 to 12 Speech Night.

An evening such as this is an essential opportunity to recognise the outstanding academic, co-curricular and service achievements of many of our girls, and rightfully celebrate their unique and diverse talents. On this evening, we particularly look forward to acknowledging the contribution of our Year 12 students as they move forward in their journeys but forever a part of St Catherine’s School.

This year, Speech Night will be held at the iconic Melbourne Town Hall, with all students in the Senior School expected to attend and as such, I encourage all families to attend this splendid evening of acknowledgement and celebration.