Top art impresses students

Three exhibitions featuring selections of the top NCEA Level 3 art student portfolios that achieved Excellence in the Visual Arts in 2022, are currently on tour throughout New Zealand. 

Each exhibition gives secondary school art students and their teachers, an opportunity to analyse and understand what is required to achieve top marks, and to appreciate the thinking that goes into creating a great piece of art. 

Rebecca McCleod is an art teacher at Christchurch’s Hagley College, and believes the exhibition helps inspire young artists. 

"I think it's fantastic for students to be able to be inspired by the top of New Zealand art boards", she said. 

"And to be able to see the creativity and also the risk taking that's involved here - to be able to see the ideas that students begin with and how far they take." 

The exhibition covers the five art streams of design, painting, photography, print making and sculpture, and is open to the public, giving them a chance to also see some of the high-quality art being created in New Zealand schools. 

On display at the Christchurch City Art Gallery, the exhibition runs through to midday April 13. 

 - John Spurdle, Public Interest Journalism Fund