Students at Mackay State High School are leaving their legacy on a local art studio as part of their Creative Arts Academy.
Bottletops & Brushes has been operational in Victoria Street since January and, with unutilised space upstairs, co-founder Margaret-Mary Robinson reached out to schools to offer the space to the region’s youth.
“We noticed that young people don’t have very many places to go so we wanted to encourage young people to express themselves in art,” she said.
“We had Mackay State High School who have initiated an art initiative which is why we have three teams doing art on the walls expressing themselves with what they feel is important to them.
“We’re wanting young people to embrace art, to express themselves and have an opportunity to do something in the Mackay city heart, to take ownership of their place here.”
The school’s Creative Arts Academy is in its first year after the school’s principal recognised the creative talent and potential in the students.
“We’ve essentially been grabbing every arts opportunity by the horns and running with it,” said Mackay State High School Creative Arts Coordinator and Senior Visual Art Teacher Anita Pritchard.
“Earlier this year we had a group who actually participated in the Wonder Rooms project with Mackay Regional Council as part of the Festival of Arts.
“Being our pilot year, I’m really stoked with the opportunities we’ve had so far.”
The academy caters to instrumental students, drama, media and visual arts, with students participating in the mural competition all from the school’s extracurricular XL Art program.
“Our Creative Arts Academy is for students who want to extend themselves further and be able to work with likeminded students,” said Ms Pritchard.
“For XL Art, we have students from grade 7 all the way to year 12 … it becomes a bit of a peer mentorship.”
Five students across years 8, 9 and 11 began work on their murals at the start of the week including year 8 student Sophie Van Essen who says the school’s Creative Arts Academy has opened her up to opportunities she never thought possible.
“I’ve been really focussing on that art since about grade five and this year when the Creative Arts Academy opened up that was really the perfect gateway for me,” she said.
“It’s teaching me a lot about art and I’m learning a lot of things that I wouldn’t have learnt without it and I think that’s a really good opportunity to have.”
Sophie’s mural features a large golden heart and incorporates some of her own characters.
“The entire thing is supposed to represent that there can be innocence and good within a really bad place,” she said.
The murals are to remain in the upstairs studio permanently.
