Staff Spotlight: Miss Sara Aitken, Head of Visual Art

This month, Ruby C (Year 9) shone the spotlight on Miss Aitken, Head of Visual Art

How long have you been teaching at Oxley?

 I have been teaching at Oxley for about 4 years and absolutely loving it here.

What inspired you to become an Art teacher?

I was inspired by my own art teachers and I still have many friendships with some of my teachers.

What do you believe fosters creativity?

Stepping outside your comfort zone and taking risks when learning. I believe that failure fosters creativity because as artists we need to strive to be different and to strive to push beyond.

Who are your favourite artists?

My most loved artists are Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo, Kathryn Del Barton, Mylyn Nguyen and the classic artists such as Picasso, Monet and Da Vinci.

What is your favourite exhibition that you have attended?

My favourite exhibition that I attend yearly is Sculptures by the Sea and Vivid. These exhibitions are visited by thousands of people every year and always push the boundaries of art in new forms. I love the support from the community and having an understanding about working on different surface areas.

In the area of Visual Arts what do you specialise in?

I have dabbled in a lot of areas my favourite area is drawing but I have specialised in Photography. I hope to bring a little more knowledge and learning about Photomedia to the Oxley Community as it is an ever changing medium and constantly pushes boundaries.

Have to ever exhibited your own art works?

I have exhibited my own works at gallery spaces but have not exhibited in a while. I use social media now to advertise and show my works.

Why is Visual Arts such an important subject and especially-an important subject for students at Oxley?

We are lucky here at Oxley as we have inspiration all around us. There are so many community members who are artists and are happy to help the younger generation appreciate and learn from the arts. It is an important subject to learn and foster creativity and to create learners who think beyond the norm. It is especially important for various reasons including mental health reasons and this ensures that students will learn these skills that they have for life to ensure when they are faced with challenges that they can easily be overcome. It instils the value of courage in our students to try new and exciting ways to create art.

What opportunities does Visual Arts subject offer Oxley students?

Students are given the opportunity to be involved in a range of exhibitions and competitions here at Oxley. We run Visual Arts Club and Content Creating Club which is all part of the Visual Arts connection here at Oxley. We also offer lunchtime sessions with students with some 1 on 1 help to guide them into a new way of thinking. We also offer the opportunity to work with artists to develop skills and visit practical exhibitions where students are able to learn new skills.

Since Oxley is now a Round Square school, will there be any overseas trips to look at art around the world?

Europe! This is an obvious consideration to be part of the Europe trip where students will visit galleries including the Louvre where the Mona Lisa is kept. This is where many scholarships take place where students have the option to be part of beyond their schooling. Japan is another choice where students can value from looking and connecting to schools and be part of the Visual Arts from a different perspective.

What are your plans and direction for future art making at Oxley?

Photography is my passion, and I want to build the elective choices here at Oxley College for the benefit of our students. I want to include Traditional Photography with the potential to run a dark room space. My dream is to keep pushing the creativity into community and connecting with artists locally. Building the recognition of Visual Arts is so important for creating innovative and creative thinkers which prepare students for the developing world.