Celebrating Children's Creativity- Exhibition of Australian Children's Art

A unique exhibition of art from children aged 2-8 years from schools, kindergartens, and children's centres throughout Australia, including indigenous and refugee children's art, will be displayed in Melbourne as part of an International Early Childhood Conference*.

As well as providing a stimulating display for international delegates the art display will be exhibited later in galleries throughout Australia . It will also provide an educational tool for parents and those working with young children, showing the use of appropriate art materials and activities, and what to expect at different age levels.

Childhood Centres all over Australia were invited to collect work and 120 were chosen for final display. There are works from children all over Australia , and also Norfolk and Christmas Island . There are three co-operative paintings from the Tjukurla Remote Community School in the Gibson Desert . Art work from refugee children at Woomera will also be on display.

The exhibition will display all stages of the child's work, from the very early experimental to the realistic, and the beginning of perspective. Different materials have been used for drawings, paintings, finger paintings, collage and a small display of 3-dimensional works including clay modelling and fired clay objects. The young artists have been given the time they need to enjoy creating. Every visitor will take away the memory of the vibrant and free work on display.

The retiring Chairman of the National Gallery of Victoria, Steve Vizard will open the exhibition at 12.20 pm on Thursday 22 July. On Saturday 24 July, the artists and their families and other interested people, e.g. teachers from the schools represented, have been invited to view the work.

A 28 page colour catalogue has been prepared describing the art on display with 32 works reproduced. It includes an article by Robert Brown and Jan Deans from the University of Melbourne who say children's art is - "the creative expression of ideas, feelings and life experiences".

Preview of art exhibition, meeting some of the young artists and their teachers, and interviews with curators can be arranged. Catalogue also available.