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The Art Auctions > Introduction | Biennial art auctions | Artists at school | Art scholarships | Art camp | Artist residencies | Exciting journey
Artists at school
More than 75 artists have worked with the students of Macandrew Intermediate School over the last 11 years. The richness and vitality of this interface has proved to be very special for both students and teachers. The visits have provided wonderful professional development for the teachers, stimulating their engagement with new ideas and new ways of working.
During these 11 years, the former Art Syllabus was been replaced by The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum document. Both documents recommend that schools provide opportunities for students to meet artists, talk with them, learn how and why they make their own particular artwork, and experience their art works firsthand.
Artists return
Lesley says of the artist visits that "over the years, many artists have returned to teach again – maybe a new course, or a new take on a similar idea. Sometimes they tutor a whole unit, passing on their particular media knowledge and skills. Sometimes we make a trip to their studio or gallery.
"Whatever form the contact takes, the students are the direct beneficiaries. They quickly come to realise that making art is valid, indeed important, and that being creative, using the intellect, developing and synthesising ideas, and producing a finished artwork is something worth pursuing. It is a legitimate experience – it gives scope – and it can give a freedom sometimes not experienced in other areas of the Curriculum."
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