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2023 Stepping Outside the Classroom recording

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2023 Stepping Outside the Classroom recording

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Recorded as part of the 'Stepping Outside of the Classroom' in 2023. This was a series of online professional learning for educators that highlights the Outreach Education program. The Outreach Education program is a collaboration between the Department for Education and South Australia's key cultural organisations providing students with learning environments, experiences and curriculum-aligned resources as well as professional learning opportunities for teachers - unlocking the unique collections, exhibitions, performances, resources, and expertise they hold.

The 90minute recording below is ideal for those who are new to the Art Gallery of South Australia, pre-service or early career teachers, particularly those who are not art trained. Discover what a visit to the Gallery could look for you and your students, including workshops, tours and outreach opportunities. AGSA offers PD for teachers, experience a taster of the popular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art in the Classroom and learn how to respond to works of art by First Nation artists in a culturally appropriate and meaningful way.

For this session you will need: coloured paper, glue stick and scissors.

We have also collated all the resources and activities mentioned in the presentation in one Padlet including your professional development certificate.

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Stepping Outside of the Classroom | Critical thinking and First Nations Art - where to begin

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Ideal for those new to AGSA or pre-service teachers

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AGSA SOTC teacher PD certificate - 1 hour (1)

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Celebrate the end of school year (almost) with us for Radical Textiles Educator Briefing with curators Rebecca Evans and Leigh Robb. This exhibition will run until 30 March 2025, so there is plenty of time to bring your students to the Gallery - get ready to start your term 1 planning.

From William Morris to Sonia Delaunay, Radical Textiles celebrates the cutting-edge innovations, enduring traditions and bodies of shared knowledge that have been folded into fabric and cloth over the past 150 years. Showcasing the work of 100 makers, artists, designers and activists, this major exhibition draws on AGSA's international, Australian and First Nations collections of textiles and fashion, augmented by sculpture, painting, photography and the moving image.

Following the curator talk join us for drinks and nibbles and get a sneak peek of the 2025 program. This event will be held in conjunction with First Friday so feel free to stay longer, explore the Gallery or relax in the courtyard with colleagues and friends.

Schedule

4.30pm - 5pm - Drinks and nibbles.

5pm - Curator talk in the Radford Auditorium

6pm onwards - Explore Radical Textiles independently, ticket to the exhibition is included.

More

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Celebrate the end of school year (almost) with us for Radical Textiles Educator Briefing with curators Rebecca Evans and Leigh Robb. This exhibition will run until 30 March 2025, so there is plenty of time to bring your students to the Gallery - get ready to start your term 1 planning.

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Engage with the collection and develop ideas for the classroom anytime from the comfort of your home

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The FRIDA LAS VEGAS Studio will open in line with the exhibition on 23rd November.

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Our dedicated activity space for children, families and art lovers of all ages.

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Sarah Contos – My Friend, Lavender | STATION

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View Sarah Contos' exhibition 'My Friend, Lavender' online at www.stationgallery.com.au 

For more information or to request a catalogue, contact post@stationgallery.com.au

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Sarah Contos situates her practice within the contexts of femininity, identity and eroticism, expressed through screen- printed textiles, sculptural objects and complex installations. For 'My Friend, Lavender', Contos extends her process of assemblage with the introduction of oil painting. However, rather than displaying conventional painting tropes, Contos utilises her experimental painted outcomes as another object to manipulate and transform into iterations of soft sculptures.

In opposition to the traditional notions of high art, the artist draws from costume design, fashion, face painting and camp culture to create an alternate landscape. Contos’ sensual forays into soft sculptures elicit emotional and psychological resonances, constructed through a unique mis en scène of the everyday to popular culture. 'My Friend, Lavender' harnesses a punk energy to approach overly romanticised ideas of sentimentality, play and the whimsical.

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About the artist:

Sarah Contos lives and works in Sydney. She holds a Masters of Art (Painting) from the College of Fine Arts, UNSW.

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Sarah Contos works across collage, sculpture and installation and references popular culture and art history. In Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, the artist brings together the personal fragments of her practice from the last four years, resulting in a colossal quilt that she describes as her most ambitious work to date. Previous works of art and exhibition histories are captured in this textile time capsule, making it a self-initiated retrospective of her career.

Contos trained in stage and costume design as well as in fine arts. She has been included in group and solo exhibitions and in 2016 produced Sincerely Yours in collaboration with Australian fashion house Romance Was Born. Among other accolades Contos was awarded the 4A Beijing Residency in 2013 and was the recipient of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship (Sculpture) in 2011.

What technique or tradition would you like to see make a comeback?
Think and Discuss

Based on your observations and before looking at the wall label, invent a title for this work of art.

To understand a work of art or learn more about the artist who made it, we need to look for clues. Look closely at Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye for one minute. Make a list of all the things you can see. What do these items tell you about the artist? Based on your list, write a small profile on Sarah Contos.

Craft practices have traditionally been associated with women artists. What behaviours or symbols do we associate with being male or female? If you could eliminate any stereotype, which would it be?

The definition of decorative art is 'art concerned primarily with the creation of useful items such as furniture, ceramics or textiles'. Would you classify Contos' quilt as decorative art? Where would be the best place to display this work of art? Compare this work with other textiles in the collection.
- Morris & Company
- Rebecca King, Quilt [crazy patchwork], c.1890-95
- Jane Judd (née Digby), Quilt [broderie Perse], early 19th century
- Romance was Born, manufacturer, Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, designers, Quilted sleep jacket-chantilly, 2016

The boundary between craft and art has long been challenged. After viewing Contos' winning work, locate other works in the permanent collection that may blur the line between art and craft. How do we tell the difference between a textile work that is art and one that is craft?

After viewing Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, wander through the permanent collection. You may notice that some works of art are hung thematically or chronologically. Select a location where you think the Gallery should next display Contos' work. Consider other works of art nearby in terms of their themes, techniques or era. Take a photograph of this location. Once you're back in the classroom create a mock-up of your new display. Explain your curatorial decision about placing the work in its new position.

The Australian fashion house Romance Was Born worked with Sarah Contos to produce the Sincerely Yours collection. Look at some of the garments in this collection online. Select a garment that displays Contos' influence. Explain your selection by comparing this garment to Contos' winning work. Discuss how the materials and visual elements are consistent with Contos' art practice.

There has been a resurgence of late in the use of craft techniques by both male and female contemporary artists. Compare Contos' work with another artist from the list below who utilise textiles. What key themes are being explored and how have these been communicated to the audience? How does their choice of media connect to their conceptual framework?

- Nick Cave
- Julia Robinson
- Tracey Emin

- Rosemarie Trockel

- Grayson Perry
- Sera Waters

Sarah Contos describes her work as a snapshot in time offered as a future memory. Create your own collage that illustrates the past month of your life. Consider including a combination of drawings, objects and fabrics that link to your personal story, or to put it simply - what makes you, you?

Does your school have a time capsule? Investigate the type of items that were placed inside. Create your own class time capsule to be opened before you leave for high school. Consider including items that capture this point in time; such as drawings, letters, newspaper articles or photographs.

Contos draws inspiration from characters in films, books and history. Create a class quilt using a person from history as inspiration. Each member of the class will illustrate a part of that person's story using recycled mixed media. Stitch each student's work of art together to create a large collaborative visual narrative that depicts significant moments in this figure's life. TIP: You may like to stitch paper instead of fabric or embellish your piece with three-dimensional elements like Contos.

Design the bed that Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye would belong on. Imagine the shape of the bed head, its size and the materials you would use. Imagine if the bed had special powers - what would they be and why? Describe how it would feel to be asleep in the bed wrapped in Contos' quilt.

Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye is a personal work of art made entirely by hand, honouring the traditions of quilt making - an act of love that is often exchanged between loved ones. Using recycled fabrics create a segment of a quilt that you will give to someone important in your life. Your quilt square may be a portrait of that person and their interests.

Contos' process for art making begins with her looking at absolutely everything - scanning science magazines, viewing films or gazing out the window to catch the gesture of a stranger on the street. Spend a week like a bowerbird. Collect magazine or newspaper clippings, objects, fabric and recycled materials. Take photographs and complete a series of spontaneous sketches of people you see and places you visit. Work out any relationships between the items collected and create a cohesive work of art. Write a statement explaining the decisions you made about your work.

Notions of the self and identity underpin each body of work Contos makes. She is sometimes inspired by characters from film, literature or history and notes that she is drawn to characters that share similar attributes. Consider a person, either fictional, someone in popular culture or a public figure by whom you are inspired. What are the characteristics that make you admire them? Create a tribute to that person using mixed media.

Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye appears as a functional work of art due its the soft and inviting textures and its potential to be used as a quilt. Transform a functional piece of clothing into a wearable work of art.

Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye was the result of a period of personal struggle and change for the artist. Reflect on a current social, environmental or political issue. Without using text, design a poster or create a screen-print that responds to this time or event.

Historical Connections

The Arts and Craft movement in the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century emerged due to concerns about the quality of design and decoration because of machine production. William Morris was a leading member of this movement and was well known for his pattern designs for fabric and wallpapers.

Fast forward to the early 20th century - Roger Fry, one of the founders of Omega Workshops Ltd in the United Kingdom, was an important figure in raising awareness about modernism and design. Fry aimed to dissolve the division between decorative and fine arts and provide additional income for his artist friends including Vanessa Bell, an English artist and sister of author Virginia Woolf who produced fabric designs for Omega. Textiles had a reputation for being considered craft rather than art, and they were often associated with women artisans and consequently considered inferior to the fine arts. As contemporary artists continue to incorporate craft traditions in their practice, we are encouraged to re-evaluate historical female artists who were, at the time, undervalued when compared to male artists.

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
William Morris

Investigate the work of Vanessa Bell. Bell once stated that her textile work was an extension of her paintings. What do you think she meant by this and what similarities can you identify between her textile designs and her paintings? As a starting point compare Pair of Pyjamas in Maud design, 1918 and Bedroom, Gordon Square, 1912, in the Gallery's collection.

Write a response to the following statement: 'Progressive artists Vanessa Bell and Sarah Contos challenge ideas about gender and renegotiate the borders between fine and decorative arts.'

In your research, did you discover any other female artists who were pioneers for women's rights? Share your findings with your class.

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Sarah Contos works across collage, sculpture and installation and references popular culture and art history. In Sarah Contos Presents: The Long Kiss Goodbye, the artist brings together the personal fragments of her practice from the last four years, resulting in a colossal quilt that she describes as her most ambitious work to date.

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Check here in October for the Radical Textiles resource

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Our extensive range of resources help students to examine, explore and respond to works of art and the concepts they evoke. They can be used during your visit to the Gallery and in classroom discussions.

The resources cover major exhibitions, selected artists represented in our collection and key tour themes. The resources suggest activities that link with the Australian Curriculum.

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Resources to help students explore, reflect and respond to art.

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Join us in January for a series of professional developmen with AGSA, Adelaide Botanic Gardens and Parliament House

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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AGSA have teamed up with our neighbours to deliver a suite of professional learning covering visual arts, critical and creative thinking, science, sustainability and civics and citizenship.

The package includes:

- Developing Visual Literacy (AGSA), Friday 10 January

- C ivics and Citizenship (Parliament House and Radical Textiles - part 1 & 2), Monday 13 January, full day.

- Art and Plants through a First Nations Lens - where AGSA and Adelaide Botanic Gardens overlap, Tuesday 14 January

- Access to online resource 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art in the Classroom'

- PLUS a free ticket to AGSA's Teacher Quiz Night: Full Disclosure on Friday 17 January, 5-7pm

If you attend all events, this totals 20 hours of profession learning - that's $18.50per hour if PD!

$370 preservice and Department for Education Teachers / $400 all other educators

Bookings will open soon.

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Revive in 2025: Professional Learning Package

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Join us for a series of professional development sessions in January

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Civics and Citizenship PD (AGSA x Parliament House)

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Civics and Citizenship PD (AGSA x Parliament House)

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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With the State Government's recent investment in Civics and Citizenship education, AGSA have teamed up with Parliament House to deliver a half day workshop focused on this area of the Australian Curriculum.

Using the exhibition Radical Textiles and works of art within the theme of resistance, we will demonstrate how you can use works of art to address this priority in your classrooms, encouraging students to be actively engaged citizens.

9am - 10.30am - Parliament House re-enactment of bill passing of women's rights

10.30-11am (walk to AGSA - self supplied morning tea break)

11am - 12pm - Civics and Citizenship tour at AGSA

Highly recommended for Years 6 & 7 and Years 9 & 10.

Ticket price includes entry to Radical Textiles.

Bookings will open soon.

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Civics and Citizenship - AGSA meets Parliament House (part 1)

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With the State Government's recent investment in Civics and Citizenship education, AGSA have teamed up with Parliament House to deliver a half day workshop focused on this area of the Australian Curriculum.

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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In a world of increasing visual information, some AI generated, it is important that we arm students with the skills to critically analyse all information, to make judgements and provide opportunities to practise such skills.

Discover ways you can use the collection to promote critical and creative thinking and encourage long looking, resulting in students actively engaging with works of art, with ideas and with each other. The activities you will learn can be easily adapted to any classroom and will help you to develop students' visual literacy while they practise making meaning from visual information.

Suitable for all educators of all learning areas.

Please note this workshop does not include catering.

Bookings will open soon.

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In a world of increasing visual information, some AI generated, it is important that we arm students with the skills to critically analyse all information, to make judgements and provide opportunities to practise such skills.

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AGSA - The Art Gallery of South Australia

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Browse our online galleries of student work created in response to works of art, exhibitions and education resources.

If you have student work you would like to submit for our online galleries see our submission guidelines.

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Works of art created by children and young people