On Wednesday 17th October, ‘The Sea’, an exhibition of work by GCSE Fine Art students, hung alongside pieces from the permanent collection of The Williamson Art Gallery, opened with a busy Private View attended by over 130 people.
The exhibition was the culmination of a project which began with a gallery visit in January 2018 to view a selection of paintings inspired by the sea. The trip encouraged pupils to understand how artists explore a subject in different ways to create individual responses. It also highlighted the importance of seeing work in the flesh in order to appreciate technique, texture and scale; elements which are so often lost when viewing work second hand on a computer screen.
Once back in school, students experimented with different materials before selecting a technique for their final piece. Some considered the moods and emotions connected with the sea, whereas for others pollution and the future of our seas were foremost in their thoughts.
It was exciting for the students to have work displayed in a national gallery, and for parents, staff, governors and the general public to view what is so often stored away from their eyes for safekeeping.
Students were overwhelmed to see their artwork in place, with Alice Langan saying “It was motivating to see what we could achieve” and Lexi Jones stating, “It was a great experience, and amazing how many people came out to support us”.
Head of Art, Mrs Margerison said, “I feel extremely proud to have our students’ work on display at The Williamson Art Gallery alongside well known artists. It was wonderful when they came in with their parents for the first time, and saw their art in this impressive setting”.
This is the first time Birkenhead Art Department has shown at the Williamson Art Gallery and marks what we hope will be an ongoing association between our two institutions.
For more photos from the exhibition, please visit the
Birkenhead School Facebook page.