Art & Photography at the Senior School

Here are some of the highlights from a busy and creative year in No.47 our Art and Photgraphy Centre.

Year 7 create recycled materials jellyfish

Our Year 7 students worked on a recycled materials jellyfish project to create an awareness of single use plastics and similar pollutants that end up in the world’s waterways.

Students studied the cause and effects of plastic pollution on the wildlife found in the oceans. They looked at the positive and negatives surrounding the use of plastics and how we can work together to promote reusable, recyclable and up-cycled products.

Using only waste plastics and materials the students developed, design and created 3-dimensional jellyfish that could be hung in a ‘bloom’ in the Senior School cortile to promote awareness of plastic waste.

Through this they also developed an understanding and awareness of the Jellyfish anatomy, life cycle and predators. The girls were also able to see how important the Jellyfish is in the food-chain and how plastics not only affect them but also affect their predators.  

Christmas Card Competition  

The theme for the 2019 competition was ‘Light and Peace’. Catherine Z. had created a series of winter images in her A Level Art studies inspired by her Sixth Form Trip to Iceland.

She entered the Catholic Independent Schools Christmas Card Competition and we were delighted to hear Catherine Z won first prize in the Senior category. The judges at CISC said of her work:

“Catherine’s winter scene with a flock of birds flying over was just captivating with the multi-coloured sky contrasting with the more monochrome foreground to create a beautiful scene. Whilst not a religious interpretation, it is a spiritual evocation of light and peace."

Rotary Young Photographer competition 

We are pleased to announce that Madeleine H., one of our St Mary’s Art Scholars won third place in the Rotary Young Photographer competition (category age 11-13). The competition required that the entrants produce a portfolio of three photographs based on the theme “Through My Eyes”. 

Madeleine’s photographs were taken in her Grandmother’s garden in Yorkshire after a heavy rainfall.  She wanted to create a unique and interesting way of presenting reflections in water so inverted the images, this gives them a more surreal feel and helps emphasises the textures, shapes and colours. 

The presentation of prizes was held at Campkins Cameras on King’s Parade on Sat 14 March. A selection of the best photography was published in the Cambridge Independent in the week following the presentation, and there was a display of the images hosted in the Grand Arcade. 

Royal Society of British Artists’ star student’s competition

Two of our wonderful A Level Fine Art students from last year have been recognised by The Royal Society of British Artists’ in their star student’s competition.

Sungmin S. and Kate F. have both been selected to exhibit in the prestigious Arts Society National Competition. Only forty-one students have been selected from the whole country, so this is a huge accolade and testament to their skill and creativity.

Their work was submitted by the Cambridge Arts Society Cantab and Granta for consideration. Sungmin S’s painting ‘Norang’ will be displayed in two exhibitions in London, one in The Mall Gallery and one with The Royal Overseas League. Kate F’s painting ‘Berlin Cathedral’ will be displayed at The Royal Overseas League. 

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