TasTAFE and the University of Tasmania pair up for unique art exhibition

University of Tasmania’s Academy of the Arts and TasTAFE have been working together for about 16 years to curate and hold an art exhibition.

This year’s exhibition, Fecund, will be officially opened on Friday.

VET training is the focus of The Examiner’s Pick up the Tools campaign, which aims to secure the future of the sector in Tasmania.

It also aims to highlight the success stories emerging from public provider TasTAFE after its turbulent past year.

TasTAFE head of textiles Michael Kay said he would love to see more support at college level to direct more students towards the arts VET space.

“I don’t think people really associate TasTAFE with the arts but we have a wonderful program here,” he said.

TasTAFE offers both certificate and diploma level qualifications in the arts in several disciplines including printmaking, jewellery making, textiles, illustration and painting.

Mr Kay said the courses were designed to give students a glimpse into how to forge a career in the arts – it teaches them artistic techniques but also ways to start their own creative studio or business.

He said more focus at high school and college level to promote the arts courses at TasTAFE would help to boost student numbers.

“I would like to see it promoted more as a career pathway,” he said.

Curator and Academy gallery director Michael Bywaters said the exhibition had proved a positive partnership in the 16 years it had been running.

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Illustration Certificate IV student Heidi McCormick will be presenting a piece called Welcome to Death Row.

She said she was moved by the plight of over-breeding and euthanasia rates in domestic animals such as dogs and cats.

“When I saw the numbers, it was very confronting so I wanted to highlight that issue, because it is a problem,” she said.

“I wanted to make people think about the responsibility of owning a pet.”

Printmaking student Jonathon Burgess said his pieces were an experiment and example of his creativity.

“I wanted an opportunity to express my creativity because I hadn’t really done anything since high school,” he said.

Mr Burgess said he chose to go to TasTAFE because he felt it would be more hands on. 

“I have been to uni before,” he said.

He said he enjoyed printmaking and silhouette work because of the precision involved.

Jewellery student Alison O’Keeffe is using her skills as an artist to make a statement about environmental matters.

Her piece is a reflective “whimsical response” to declining bee populations.

“Mother Nature needs a helping hand,” she said.

She said the jewellery course offered the opportunity to make traditional jewellery pieces but also the opportunity to create artistic expression pieces.