The Operation Art Touring 50 Exhibition is coming to town, arriving at Griffith Art Gallery on Friday 9 August.
The exhibition, featuring artworks created by students from kindergarten through to Year 10, will be officially opened on Friday 9 August 6pm by Mayor of Griffith, Doug Curran, and will be on display for the public until 15 September.
The 50 finalists were selected from more than 700 artworks entered into the 2023 Operation Art Exhibition, created by students from 221 NSW schools for kids in hospital.
Gallery Coordinator, Raymond Wholohan, says "We love having Operation Art visit Griffith. It's so great to see the work of talented young people from across the state, and to know that these works will live on in the Children's Hospital is very heart-warming."
"We're particularly excited that this year's exhibition features work from local students. This year's exhibition features works from Scarlet & Eli Crossley and Lily & Dusty Plum from Booligal Public School. Other regional young people featured include Annabelle Deacon from Lake Albert, Jacob Goltz from Binalong and Andrew Hathway from Gunnedah. We encourage art lovers young and old to come to the Gallery these view these selected artworks."
The exhibition is part of a statewide tour around regional art galleries, before the artworks become part of the permanent art collection at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
Heidi Windeisen, Operation Art Project Officer at the NSW Department of Education's Arts Unit, said the exhibition is not only a chance to showcase the array of talent in NSW schools but also to shine a light on how art can be transformative for children in difficult times.
"Operation Art gives students a real purpose for their artmaking. It shows them how art can help to foster a healing environment and encourages a spirit of generosity by creating something special for somebody else," Ms Windeisen said.
"This exhibition shows students that their contribution to the arts is equally as important as the artwork of world-renowned artists. Art is for everyone."
The Gallery's Public Programs Officer, Melanie Toscan, will be welcoming young creatives to be involved with this exhibition while it's showing. She said, "Local primary school students will have the opportunity the spend a whole day making, creating and learning new visual arts skills. Workshops will cover a variety of different topic areas including drawing, painting, printing, mixed media and sculpture."
A selection of artworks from Operation Artbank will also be donated to Griffith Base Hospital. Artworks by students local to the area will be presented to Melanie Toscan, Art Programs Coordinator at Murrumbidgee Local Health District, for permanent display at the hospital.
Operation Art is an initiative of The Children's Hospital at Westmead in association with the Department of Education and supported by the Art Gallery of NSW, encouraging NSW school students from Kindergarten to Year 10 to create artworks for children in hospital.
