A local high school recently won an art competition following the Rupert Museum Heritage Month celebrations.
This was according to Eliz-Marie Schoonbee, art curator at the Rupert Museum.
Eerste River Secondary School won the competition and the participating students each received R700 worth of art supplies, according to Schoonbee.
The initiative was initially launched on 28 August and the winner was announced on 30 September, said Schoonbee.
Learners from Lückhoff Secondary School, Stellenzicht Secondary School, Kylemore Secondary School, Apex High School and Eerste River Secondary School were invited to participate in the project, said Schoonbee.
The students’ art panels were displayed outside the museum for museum-goers to view and vote for, she explained. There were over 150 votes by the end of the competition, said Schoonbee.
Lani Prinsloo, Eerste River Secondary School’s visual arts teacher (pictured left), and Cedric Williams, Eerste River Secondary School’s principal (pictured right) standing in front of their school’s winning art panel at the Rupert Museum Heritage Month art competition. PHOTO: Jodi-Mari Adams
Connecting with the youth
Museum employees launched the initiative after realising that they were not connecting with the local youth, specifically the high school demographic, said Robyn-Leigh Cedras, the director of the Rupert Museum.
As a result, the team at the museum decided to collaborate with well-known graffiti artist, Ras Silas Motse, said Cedras. Motse guided the learners in creating the street-art style panels that were displayed, she said.
“For me, it was [about making] the kids from [these] schools understand how they can find a better way to position themselves as artists in society,” said Motse.
The team at the Rupert Museum recently held an art competition for local high schools as part of the Heritage Month celebrations. Robyn-Leigh Cedras, the director of the Rupert Museum, emphasised the importance of engaging with young artists. PHOTO: Jodi-Mari Adams
Art opens minds
Motse inspired the learners from Eerste River Secondary School by teaching them how to use art in both a negative and positive way, according to Lani Prinsloo, visual arts teacher at Eerste River Secondary School.
There is often a negative connotation with graffiti, as it is usually considered as vandalism, said Schoonbee. However, street art is an art form based off of graffiti that the whole community can enjoy, she explained.
Any efforts aimed at positively influencing the youth and channeling their energy into constructive activities are of utmost importance, said Motse.
The plaque (pictured above) represents all the students from Eerste River Secondary School who participated in the Rupert Museum Heritage Month art competition. “It was a beautiful project overall, and I really love the engagement with the community,” said Ras Silas Motse, a well-known graffiti artist, who served as guide for the participating students. PHOTO: Jodi-Mari Adams