THE EXHIBITION OPENING EVENT: 18 September 2012

SQIT Creative Media staff have collaborated on an exhibition which presents the diversity and innovation that they collectively posses. The title for the exhibition is “i” D-E-A which is an an acronym for ‘Design’, ‘Entertainment’ and ‘Art’ – the key aspects of the disciplines they teach.

The work represented in the exhibition ranges from photography to scuplture, video to lithography, conceptual installation to ceramic plates, theatre installation to a microscope image.

The staff members in the exhibition are; DAVID Taylor, PAM Pacholke, ALISON Ahlhaus, RACHEL Susa, PETER Devey, ROD Smart, TIM Fry, DAVID LeMay, JO Murphy, DEB Beaumont, ANDY Koch, CAMERON  Duggan and DOUG Spowart+Victoria Cooper. A detailed catalogue for the exhibition contains biographies of the staff members and their specialist professional practice and teaching areas.

DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE EXHIBITOR’S PROFILES (3.4mb PDF)

The exhibition was opened by Jennifer Wright (Summers) the President of Arts Council Toowoomba (ACT), herself a past SQIT art student. The exhibition was attended by a number of people from ACT, the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery and Sandy Pottinger, the Arts reviewer from the Chronicle newspaper

Jennifer’s opening remarks

I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners on whose land we gather: the Giabel and Jarowir people who walked this land for thousands of years, their elders past, present and future…

Thanks very much for inviting me back to SQIT. After 50yrs working in a variety of careers, I thought it was a good idea to do my DipVA at SQIT 6 or 7 years ago. I am so pleased that at last Art is my focus after careers in science, education, film and TV and publishing. I have always made art and in my practice I always start with a concept, an idea I think worthwhile. Then comes the hard work of moving the good idea into planning and action. I’m grateful to SQIT for giving me the techniques and skills to produce art and the enthusiasm to apply for and be successful with grants for the Splashing back public art project. Let’s hope SQIT and ACT become better connected and that students and staff may put in an EOI for this place and event marking public art project.

Thanks to Doug Spowart and Victoria Cooper for asking me and for shifting the day to fit in with my Bollywood dancing. Their photoimaging works and artists books are powerful and always based on strong ideas and a passion for place. I saw Doug and Victoria’s imaging within the devastated Murray Darling system in our environment where they exposed photographic papers in the Condamine. This work was displayed in ACT’s members exhibition last year. Their work is professional, highly regarded and never trivial.

What a fabulous idea, it was for the Arts, design, media and entertainment staff of SQIT to come together. Whose idea was that? Thanks also for this product of all the mental, physical, digital and publishing activity that it has taken to bring us this exhibition. It reveals the depth of creative talent which might otherwise have remained hidden. It is something worth building on and I have already become an evangelist for your programs.  Two young men came to my door as I was leaving home to come here and I passed on the message and flashed the flyer.

On entering this exhibition Pam Pacholke’s image of the desert dunes of Namibia is captivating. These shifting dunes are as high as the range. Pam is Educational Manager for the Faculty of Education, Commerce and the Arts at SQIT and works closely with the Arts, Design, Media and Photoimaging team. Great to learn more about you Pam.

I see Alison Ahlhaus’ experience and qualifications RAAF and Medical images and professional photography with Focal Point Photos shine in her personal travel imagery. How fortunate are the Photoimaging students here in having Alison and Rachel Susa as teachers here. Rachel combines evening classes with work in communication and building teams.

Team building – now that’s a good concept. In the 60s we thought synergy was a good idea. We can do much more beyond our individual capacities and imaginings when we work as a team. It is wonderful to see you working together here and who knows what will come from it. It’s exciting time for Art in Toowoomba. Many young people are establishing Artist Run Initiatives such as theGRID: creative art space. It is timely that your exciting range of educational offerings is on show here. It’s so important to attract school leavers and keep them here rather than losing them to capital cities or the misadventure that comes with boredom and disengagement. These offerings are also attractive to people in later life wanting new creative experiences.

What a privilege it was to talk with Jo Murphy who works with preservice teachers online. Her passion as a Global Citizen, interest in Afgani women and those who struggle with English as a Second Language are most valuable. She has exciting ideas for digital textiles where machines can take the tedium out of the embroidery process (and she is interested in joining me in Bollywood dancing).

Cameron Duggan’s graphic design experience with motor cycle parts and accessories and Doug’s Graphic Garage’s signwriting will attract more of our young people. Many of them, including my 17 year old grandson love tattoo art and I hope SQIT will offer that one day – perhaps in collaboration with the health and infection control offerings!

I have known Deb Beaumont since the first Avant garden, Arts Council Toowoomba’s ephemeral sculpture initiative that saw Toowoomba’s parks and gardens come alive with sculptural works. Deb’s fish in the pond at the botanic gardens were made from printing plates from the Chronicle. Here we can explore more plates and spoils and traces of history. Newsprint as precious artworks – not for wrapping fish.

Tim Fry teaches ceramics and has experience in drawing and printmaking and commercial ceramics. We are fortunate to have him in the ceramic studio here and I can see how the printmaking has influenced the ceramics we see here. I’m potty about ceramics and hope you can come to the potters club’s 40^th birthday celebrations on the last Saturday of Carnival 29 September (corner of Herries and West streets all day). Maybe he can get students involved in Arts Council’s mosaic project.

As well as mucking around with clay, I love the idea of using all available media. Technology’s advance has been so fast it’s been difficult for me to keep up. I asked Doug’s advice before upgrading my first digital video/still camera recently and always appreciate his advice in that regard.

Andy Koch also has a great industry background – branding, corporate and communication strategies for companies. He teaches design and I can see work here that would very much appeal to a young viewer.

I hope that students see the value of the Design process. How important it is to work with Design to visualise how an idea might be brought to the physical or virtual world. I’m finding that out with ACT’s Splashing back mosaic art project.

I enjoy seeing how David Le May (check out his amazing background in this brochure) works in multi-media and printmaking: Ink on plates and pixels on screen. It’s my experience that one technique often enhances or influences the other. Look at the Lithograph and etching and see what you think.

Rod Smart is well know for pen and wash illustrations. He juxtaposes experience in Multimedia and web development with welding metal here at SQIT.  When I was a student at Hume Street, Rod and Peter Gadfield helped me with some metal work for Flash Trash. I very much enjoy Rod’s metal work here. Is the idea ‘climbing the educational ladder’? I would love to do more metal work. Will that be offered here too one day – perhaps a short course, please?

The creative process involved in design is demonstrated all around us here. But are there other ways we can engage people?  Hey, Look at me! Jumping up and down waving hands in the air, singing. It’s worked since prehistory: singing, dancing in a moving theatrical performance!!!

Peter Devey knows about putting on a performance. In fact he is doing one right now. Images of Theatre sets, lighting and props come from performing arts projects Peter’s has been involved in. I imagine Peter’s experience with sound is also very helpful in this creative community. Would he know how to operate the H4n handy recorder?

I love the idea that David Taylor has a Masters Degree in Renaissance History and years of experience in entertainment. My reaction to the Warning above the QR code was horror and worry. Is that true? Oh, dear I feel fear that the QR codes we are planning for Splashing back may not be benevolent. David’s work invites us to interact and consider what goes on between the art, the performer and audience. It may be very nice to dance under the stars, but what happens between us is much more interesting.

We need each other and Art attracts people and brings us together. Thanks for bringing us together with your art and for what you put in to the community for the long term. You contribute more than just ideas but attract young people. Through your inspiring tuition you give people the gift of encouragement and skills. The result is that we want to stay and be part of our community. I am impressed with the offerings in the current range of courses, commend all of you and declare this exhibition IDEA: Meet the Staff open.

THANK YOU JENNIFER …