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Hi everyone!
I am Dr. Kristen Sharp, the Associate Dean of Art here in the School of Art.
I am delighted to welcome you all to our online Graduate Show, which comprises work from all our Art programs; our BA Fine Art program here in Melbourne, as well as a link to the July Graduate Show of our BA Fine Art program in Hong Kong, which we offer in partnership with the Hong Kong Arts Centre and Hong Kong Art School. We also have our BA Fine Art Honours Program, our MA Art in Public Space, MFA and for the very first time this year, projects from our MA Arts Management program as well.
Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the Eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands I live and work, and upon which RMIT University conducts its business. I recognise their sovereignty and their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.
After an extremely challenging 20 months here in Melbourne and around the world, this Graduate Show is extra special because these students have completed a significant amount of their study by working remotely. This is a huge achievement in itself, and I want to congratulate you all on your strength, your responsiveness and your creative resolutions to the many limitations that you have worked within. It is a great testament to you as individuals – but also to you as a group – to have provided such experimental, strong and innovative works and projects.
I would also like to thank the amazing support you have had through the care and expertise of our teaching staff, technical staff and professional staff here in the school. Everyone is genuinely drawn together as a community to help navigate all the challenges. My thanks also to RMIT University, and particularly the College of Design and Social Context for their outstanding support of the school, particularly over the past few months in the lead up to these graduate presentations.
My thanks to Paula McDonald for leading the online Grad Show project, to Associate Professor Dominic Redfern for his academic leadership, and to Sowmiya Selvakumaraswamy and Sushmita Deb for their wonderfully responsive design work on the website.
I would also like to thank the program leads for their substantive contribution and helping to realise the project, and of course all the students for participating in uploading your work and for your design ideas. I would like to thank Bella Capezio and Chris Bowes for supporting our student community by professionally photographing all the work for the online presentation and also the students’ graduate portfolios. It has been an epic project and I just want to thank everyone for your energy, for your enthusiasm and your commitment for realising this project. But also, indeed, for all of that throughout the year as well.
The importance of art – its social, cultural, political, and aesthetic value and role in our lives – is so clearly demonstrated by the rich and diverse presentations here.
Congratulations to everyone, and thank you for joining us in celebrating these creative achievements!
