2019 Graduation and Fellowship Announcement

2019 Graduation and Fellowship Announcement

The annual National Art School Graduation ceremony was held on Thursday 23 May for our completing Bachelor and Master of Fine Art students. Also honoured were the 2019 recipients of National Art School Fellowships Roslyn Oxley OAM and Wendy Whiteley OAM and Distinguished Service Recipients Jim Croke, Jill McKay and Glenda McLoughlin.  The 2019 Fellows were honoured at a celebratory dinner on Thursday 23 May 2019, held at the National Art School in a gallery space that was once the studio of celebrated Australian sculptor and NAS teacher, Rayner Hoff.

“My decision to persuade my parents to leave school at the age of 15 was fully vindicated when I joined East Sydney Tech as the National Art School was known then. A whole new world opened up for me that was stimulating, useful and rewarding. This was the
beginning of my professional life.” – Roslyn Oxley, 2019

“I had to run away from home to go to art school, my parents were worried about me being a starving artist and not finishing high school properly, but it was an exciting start of a new life for me. I loved my teachers, John Passmore and Lyndon Dadswell, but I left to support Brett, then later went back at night to study interior design. I don’t think you can be taught to be an artist, but you can be taught the techniques you need. Art school is a great place to grow up.” – Wendy Whiteley, 2019

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We're excited to share that NAS Photomedia sessional Dr Jack Ball (@jack__ball_) is the winner of the $100,000 Ramsay Art Prize 2025, the nation’s most generous prize for Australian artists under forty.

Jack's award winning work 'Heavy Grit' is on display in the Ramsay Art Prize 2025 exhibition which opens tomorrow, Saturday 31 May

Jack Ball with 'Heavy Grit' in Ramsay Art Prize 2025, Art Gallery of South Australia, (@agsa.adelaide) Adelaide; photo: Saul Steed
Thank you to outgoing Chair Susan Rothwell AM & welcome to incoming Chair Jeff Weeden. The National Art School would like to express its deepest gratitude to Susan Rothwell AM, whose term as Chair of the NAS Board concludes on 31 May 2025. 

At the same time, we are pleased to announce and warmly welcome Jeff Weeden as the incoming Chair of the NAS Board, effective 1 June 2025.

Jeff has served as a Director on the NAS Board since 2019 and currently chairs the Finance and Audit Committee, a position he has held since 2023.  For the full announcement, click the link in the bio.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) starts today! As part of our NAS NRW program, we invite you to a special screening of the documentary 'Kindred' (2023) in our Cell Block Theatre. The directors Gillian Moody and Adrian Russell Wills will be joining us for the screening.

'There's the black world, and then there's the white world. I felt walking in each of them was complicated enough. To bring those together would just make it even harder.' (Kindred: Trailer)

'Kindred' is a deeply personal feature-length documentary that delves into the emotional landscape of family, love, and loss through the eyes of two close friends.'

Limited capacity - click the link in bio to reserve your seats.
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