Students show their creations

Hawke's Bay senior art students received a taste of fame recently, as 50 pieces of art were exhibited.

For the past two weeks, five Hastings secondary schools have taken part in the Year 12 NCEA art exhibition at the Community Art Gallery on Russell St.

Karamu High School head of art and event co-organiser Damien Hollands said six awards were given to the top works.

"This year there were 50 pieces of work and it ranged from Maori sculpture, painting, photography, design and drawing - so the whole range really," he said. "They are refined pieces, so it has to be a finished piece of work and it also has to show creativity.

"With the overall winner it's because he chose to do something quite refined, he took a risk with his piece, he did something quite different, quite creative."

The overall winner was Lindisfarne College student Morgan Taylor, who used bananas in a creative way.

Mr Hollands said the annual exhibition drove student creativity and gave an insight into exhibiting. "The standard gets higher each year, and students more aware of exhibiting and start visiting more art galleries," he said.

"The exhibitions also helped students in younger years gear up for their turn."

Napier schools also held an exhibition, and they were common in Auckland and Wellington too.

"It's an opportunity for students to exhibit their work and it's sort of special, I guess. They put themselves out there, with everyone looking at their work. They get quite confident."

Schools involved this year were Lindisfarne College, Hastings Boys' High School, Havelock North High School, Karamu High School and Woodford House.

Hastings Schools Year 12 Art Exhibition Winners

• 
  Overall - Food for Thought by Morgan Taylor, Lindisfarne College
• 
  Drawing - Portia by Selene McLean, Karamu High School
• 
  Photography Prize - Untitled by Olivia Wilding, Karamu High School
• 
  Maori and Sculpture - Kete by Amber Rice, Karamu High School
• 
  Design - Assassin Series by Timothy van Eyssen, Havelock North High School
• 
  Painting - Parrot by Haylee Wallace, Havelock North High School