Gallery director Adam Harding said he invited VCE art students to the gallery to help them prepare and be inspired for the year ahead. 

He said students had the opportunity to meet professional artist Lucy Irvine, who presented her Enmeshed exhibition. The exhibition will run at the gallery until March 4.

Irvine told the students about her journey in art and how it became her profession.

Irvine started her artistic career in Scotland before moving to Australia in 2003. 

She is currently undertaking a practice-led PhD at the Australian National University in Canberra. 

“It was an excellent day. There were 35 students from Hopetoun P-12 College, Casterton College, Horsham College and St Brigid’s College in Horsham,” Mr Harding said.  

“Students from smaller schools had the chance to see their peers from across the region.” 

Mr Harding said students also had the chance to see the portfolios of previous VCE students.  

“This gave them an idea of how teachers mark different types of work,” he said. 

“We were introducing them to a different type of thinking – it’s not quite like maths.” 

Mr Harding also talked to the students about pathways and working in an art gallery.

“It is a key part of unit four in studio art VCE now that students learn and understand the pathways they can take for work in art,” he said.