An art exhibition of Indigenous paintings from primary and secondary students in a program which aims to instil respect for Koori culture has opened at Wodonga TAFE.
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Art Club, which runs at Wodonga Middle Years College, was set up three years ago with financial support from Gateway Health.
Middle Years assistant principal Marg Leddin told The Border Mail it involved teaching students about Indigenous society through painting.
“It’s all about building respect for Koori culture,” she said.
“And it’s inclusive, with Koori and non-Koori students.”
Other schools including Melrose and Wodonga Primary, along with the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, have since come on board.
Artist Trish Ceminara showed students a set of generic Indigenous symbols from different tribal groups, which the students used those to document a story of their own journey.
She said this sometimes could be the trip from school to home, or going camping.
Ms Leddin said it was using an ancient storytelling technique in a modern sense.
“The students take the symbols and they create their own story and journey, that’s why there’s such a diverse range of artwork here,” she said.
Wodonga TAFE had allowed the students to display their work free of charge at the Eddi Kookaburra Kneebone Gallery, which is open to the public.
The end result was impressive, with a wide array of colourful artworks that looked like a professional gallery.
“It’s become a really important part of our college calendar and the Wodonga government schools calendar now,” Ms Leddin said.
“It transmits cultural respect because the students take the paintings home, Indigenous and non-Indigneous, and proudly hang them in their homes.”
Ms Lennin thought this would help address prejudice towards Indigenous people found in some quarters.
Wodonga Middle Years College year 8 cousins Tahlia Herbert and Jade Herbert, both 14, completed two paintings for the show.
Tahlia said they wanted to explore the symbolism of dragonflies.
“They represent new beginnings, and we chose these colours because blue is calming and green connects us to nature,” she said.
In another work, Tahlia and Jade portrayed spirit figures floating above a campsite.
“They’re watching over their tribe,” Tahlia said.
“It took us two hours. We just choose an idea and put it on the canvas.”
Both said they discovered a lot about Indigenous culture they did not know prior.
Fellow year 8 student Adam Sutcliffe, 15, enjoyed meeting like-minded students in art club.
