Next Gen 2013 Opening Address

This is the text of the address given by Ms Audrey Brown, Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Ballarat at the opening of the Next Gen 2013 exhibition on Friday 1 February.

Ms Brown started with an acknowledgement of the Wathaurung people as traditional custodians of the land and then want on to make the following comments.

As a performing arts teacher, I know just how important the arts can be in providing young people with unique and multiple ways of exploring, communicating and understanding their own and others' ideas and feelings.

The arts are one of the many ways that we as humans define who we are. Each work conveys the spirit of the artist and something of the community and the culture in which the artist lives, so I think of art as one way that we come to know ourselves, our community and our culture more intimately.

In this Next Gen exhibition, we have the privilege as viewers to experience many different forms, mediums and approaches to the expressions of what I think must be a remarkable group of young people…and I'm struck by both the talent and individuality of each artist and by the collective impact and thematic expression of the exhibition as a whole.

I've had a delightful hour this afternoon immersed in the exhibition and I have been impressed by works which

• Provide intelligent commentary about societal and cultural perceptions
• Experiment with elements such as light, colour, form, contrast, space, mood, texture and depth
• Play with and challenge our understanding of the world
• Explore the human form in all its complexity and beauty

I particularly connected today with the works that prompted me to consider the environment, the elements, or sustainability; what I usually refer to as stewardship-and I thank those artists for the challenge they have sent out to us all to be more conscious of and to tread more lightly on the earth.

There is also quite a strong theme of works which make political statements or that seek to explore aspects of the human psyche. These works are thought provoking, often courageous and occasionally confronting, yet for the most part, they're not bleak…and it's a particular gift as an artist to address an unpleasant or difficult issue in a way that provokes thought without leaving us without hope.

The other aspect of this exhibition which I find fascinating is what we haven't seen here tonight-the developmental folios mapping the design process. It intrigues me to see how a work develops from a tiny seed of an idea and then germinates and grows into a distinctive completed work. I understand that the folios are available for school groups when they visit, so I encourage any current students here tonight to pay attention to these folios and take heart from the evidence that inspiration can come from many sources indeed.

The Next Gen exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for all of us-whether we're artists or art lovers - and I'm very thankful that I'm part of a community that values artistic expression so genuinely.

To the team at the Art Gallery of Ballarat-well done on selecting such an amazing representative group of works and for mounting an exhibition that will inspire, challenge and entertain. Your commitment to young artists over the last 18 years is a true gift to our regional community.

To the Art and Design staff in our region's schools-keep up the good work. It's obvious to me that your hands are guiding our young artists to levels of expression and sophistication that would not have emerged without your wisdom and support throughout the design process.

To the artists - congratulations on being selected from the 300 applicants-and thank you for sharing your work with all of us. Our lives are made richer by the contemplation of your art, by the ideas that you explore and by the glimpses that you provide for us into how you see the world.

As a final word, I studied music and made it my career for many years. It gave me great joy. Whilst music is no longer my career, it's still a significant and important element of a balanced life for me. I do hope that each of the young artists here tonight continues to benefit from the joy and the balance that comes from using their gifts.

And now - It is with pleasure that I declare the Next Gen exhibition for 2013 open.

Audrey Brown
Director of Catholic Education
Diocese of Ballarat
director@ceoballarat.catholic.edu.au

from left to right:

Art Gallery of Ballarat Education Officers Michael Nichols and Pauline Doran, Next Gen 2013 award recipients - Patrick Anderson, Courtney McMahon, Olivia Doolan, Sharlene Hannig, Sam Halsall, Emma Thompson, Ellen Eustice, Elliott Wolstoneholme; and guest speaker Audrey Brown, Director of Catholic Education Office Ballarat Diocese. [absent] Hannah Crurlowski and Jackson Phillips