Subak

Abstract

The Artplay project around the Subak exhibition developed a pioneering model for productive and sustainable relationships between Early Childhood programs and Art Museums. This model sought to celebrate not simply children's capacities for art making in response to encounters with gallery artworks, but to celebrate children as original thinkers and explorers, and demonstrate how art making can be integral to children's lives. In so doing, the program stimulates interest in the whole art making process, a process that to novice adult gallery visitors can be quite mysterious. Teachers and parents from a selected preschool in Armidale were invited to participate in this pilot project. They were encouraged to observe and record their children's participation, contribution of ideas, and subsequent responses at home and at school. An archive of this documentation was produced, which together with analysis from art educators became a valuable resource for the gallery and teachers working with young children and art museums. An exhibition was developed that aimed at raising public understanding about young children and artists so that children and families and teachers are encouraged to form lasting relationships with art museums. A documentary film maker recorded the interactions between the children, artists, teachers and families. The processes involved in engaging young children with art, artists and art museums in meaningful ways were recorded so that these recordings might become valuable resources for teachers and those working with young children and art museums. Supplementary material to the video can provide links to the Early Years Learning Framework. The preschool worked with NERAM and artists and arts educators Christine McMillan, Margaret Brooks over a five week period around an exhibition of these artists work. (Artist's exhibition date at NERAM April 6th - May 26th, 2012). The artists engaged the teachers, parents and children in explorations of their artwork, media and ideas so that they were able to experience first hand the huge potential and possibilities for working with young children and the arts. The arts are essential and integral to the way young children explore and make sense of their world. The program will focus on early childhood art education, the role of the family, teachers and community in the social, cultural and artistic development of the child. My artwork for the exhibition included drawings and two installations made specially for this exhibition.