The Archies come to Wesley
The much-loved Archies art exhibition at St Kilda Road Junior School began with a flash of inspiration from art teacher Elise Beattie when she was watching the ABC television series Finding the Archibald.
‘I thought it might be a great experience to run a school Archies with students painting an inspiring person they are very connected to,’ says Elise.
Now in its second year, the program encourages our young artists to explore different styles of painting, and respond to the artworks in the Archibald and the Young Archie by creating their own masterpieces on canvas, using acrylics paints, a variety of brushes and styles, and even collage, with boxes of fabrics, leather, glass tiles and wallpaper donated by a Wesley family of designers.
Each artwork tells a story. From family members and friends to teachers and sports coaches, students painted portraits of those they deeply admire, bringing their stories to life with vibrant colours and heartfelt artist statements.
Just like last year, kindness, gratitude and inspiration emerged as common themes, values that shine brightly in our Junior School community. Art has the power to connect, inspire and express gratitude. We are so proud of our students’ creativity and the thoughtfulness behind their incredible work.
Freya, Prep
Felix, Year 1
Ray, Year 2
Nora, Year 4
Freya from Prep painted her cousin Amy because ‘she is rather nice and she tells jokes to me.’
Felix from Year 1 painted his Dad ‘because he does cook the best food.’ When asked what makes his Dad happy, Felix thinks for a brief moment, and says, ‘That he has me.’
Ray from Year 2 says he was inspired to paint his Dad because ‘he’s not one of those dads who kind of just stays inside; he’s one of those outside guys – a sporty person. I wanted to represent that I love him even more than he knows I love him.’
Nora from Year 4 painted her cousin because ‘she’s always looking after me. She’s so kind and caring, she’s just very unique. I painted her in this exact clothing because she told me it was from Paris. And so I thought maybe I should draw her in Paris.’
‘The most amazing thing about The Archies was the amount of time the word KIND was used in the students’ statements,’ says Elise. ‘Kindness always wins!’
Parents and friends enjoyed seeing the exhibition at the St Kilda Road Campus Junior School. Fernanda, Ray's mother, said, 'We love Ray's portrait, and we're really proud of his achievement. The Archies is a great opportunity for all the children to create and share something meaningful. The Art program at Wesley is fantastic.'
