Art students at Canning Vale College were given a head start in public art in November when Western Australian artists Penelope Forlano and Marcia McGuire dropped by to deliver a workshop.

The artist duo briefed students on the considerations and complexities of public art, with Marcia explaining the importance of storytelling in her artwork so future generations can learn about Aboriginal history.

Students received tips on how to generate ideas and seek inspiration for public art and had the chance to apply their new-found knowledge with designs for their very own public art piece on a school wall. The students came up with some wonderful ideas to decorate the wall using pen and paper or digital technology, and shared their ideas at the end of the session.

“Learning about indigenous culture was interesting and I never knew how significant an art piece could be in contributing to the community,” Year 11 student Maggie Jones explained.

Canning Vale College Head of Learning Area for The Arts, Ms Erin Roberts agreed.

“The students gained very useful insights from the workshop, especially the contextual consideration the artists give when devising their work. We are truly appreciative of the artists’ time and effort imparting their knowledge to our students,” she said.

Both Penelope and Marcia are collaborating to deliver a sculpture at the forecourt of Nicholson Road Station as part of the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link Project. Click to find out more about the METRONET Public Art Strategy.