Open Day Online

MEET THE DIRECTOR:
STEVEN ALDERTON

The National Art School’s Director and CEO Steven Alderton has a lifetime’s experience in the arts, as a curator, gallery director, researcher, master planner and practicing artist who continues to wield a paintbrush in the studio.

He arrived at the National Art School in January 2017 after holding Director positions at the Australian Museum, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and Lismore Regional Gallery.

MEET THE HEAD OF STUDIES:
SIMON COOPER

In 2001, Simon Cooper joined the National Art School as Head of Printmaking, then in 2008 became Head of Studies.

He is responsible for the development and delivery of the school’s academic program, including the BFA, MFA and more recently introduced DFA.

Simon is also an accomplished practicing artist who has exhibited in Australia and overseas, with his work held in national and international collections.

MEET THE HEAD OF CERAMICS:
LYNDA DRAPER

Since studying at NAS from 1985 -1987, Lynda Draper has worked as a ceramicist for more than 30 years, recognised as one of Australia’s finest and most revolutionary practitioners. She has been NAS’s Head of Ceramics for the past five years.

In 2019 she won one of Australia’s major art awards, the Sidney Myer Fund Australian Ceramic Prize, and recently held a solo exhibition at Sullivan + Strumpf Art Gallery.

MEET THE HEAD OF PAINTING:
STEPHEN LITTLE

Stephen Little joined NAS as Head of Painting in 2010, having taught in higher education since the early 1990s, including at the University of Western Sydney, Sydney College of the Arts and Goldsmiths College in London where he attained his PhD.

He has worked with many major galleries including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, and White Cube and the Lisson Gallery in London, and has exhibited his own work around the world, from Sydney to Amsterdam to Seoul.

Elizabeth Pulie has exhibited her work since 1989. Her recent PhD research at Sydney College of the Arts (The University of Sydney) led her to extend her painting practice to greater experimentation with new mediums, while theoretical enquiry now completes her practice. She has presented papers at eight conferences and symposia since 2014, both within Australia and internationally.

In 2002 and 2003 Pulie co-directed Front Room, an artist run space in the front room of her house. From 2002 to 2005 she edited and published the magazine Lives of the Artists, and established the Sydney Ladies’ Artist’s Club from 2005-06. Pulie is represented by Sarah Cottier Gallery in Sydney and Neon Parc in Melbourne.

Combining practices of large-scale architectural interventions, sculpture and durational performance, Bridie Lunney acknowledges the body as a conduit between our psychological selves and the physical world.

Recent projects include Temporal Proximities, Magdalene Laundries at Abbotsford Convent, 2019; From Will to Form, TarraWarra Biennial, New Histories at Bendigo Art Gallery, 2018; Fold for Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture, Federation Square, 2017; An Imprecise Science Artspace, Sydney, 2015; This Endless Becoming for Melbourne Now, National Gallery of Victoria, 2014; Drawing Weight for 30 Ways with Time and Space, Performance Space, Sydney, 2013 and Place of Assembly Melbourne International Arts Festival 2012.

She is a current PhD candidate at Monash Art Design Architecture and is a Lecturer in Sculpture at the National Art School, Sydney.

Casey, BFA 3 Ceramics

“NAS is really studio focused; you don’t have to justify that time, it’s encouraged. In the studio you’re surrounded by fellow artists, you can bounce ideas back and forth and really watch each other’s work develop.”

Taylor, MFA Printmaking

“I think the success of NAS graduates is a testament to how experienced all the lecturers are, the teaching is really good.”

Lesley, BFA 3 Painting

“I’m always so inspired by the long list of NAS alumni. Hearing about how many have been finalists or won the Archibald Prize makes me know I’m studying at the right place.”

Nina, MFA Painting

“I love being here, whether I’m painting in my studio or reading in a little nook on campus, I’m just happy to be part of such a supportive and encouraging community. I think what I find most valuable is the one-on-one teaching, I think the feedback and critiques from lecturers are really important for my development as a painter.”

Kansas, MFA Painting

“The experience at NAS has been invaluable. Not only has it been beneficial to be surrounded by like-minded people, but the academic side to the program has opened my mind to a diverse range of thinkers, and consequently widened my understanding of the world. I chose NAS as my place of study mainly because many of the lecturers are also world-renowned practicing artists.”

Corey, MFA Photomedia

“The studios and facilities, the workshop and the combination of studio space and time are crucial; I come here 4-5 days a week. The space we’re afforded makes all the difference, having somewhere you can be incredibly productive or have room to sit and think, which has been key to my learning and the development of my work.”

Mol, BFA 3 Photomedia

“The feeling of the NAS campus – dare I say ‘the vibe of it’ – is like none other. It’s such a privilege to see amazing artists just do their thing. My peers and lecturers help me push myself to be a better artist. My parents have always encouraged my sisters and me to do whatever we love, and for me that was Fine Arts. In 2015 I had the privilege of seeing Australia’s incredible exhibition at the Venice Biennale represented by Fiona Hall, and when I found out she was a NAS graduate I just had to go here!”

Luke, MFA Painting

“So much of why I’m here is the culture of the art school – it’s being around other students and the atmosphere of the place. It’s alive.”