School talent on display in new ‘Art’s Cool’ exhibition in the Shetland Museum

Published: 09 November 2022

A colourful new schools’ art exhibition opens on Saturday 12 November in Da Gadderie at Shetland Museum and Archives.

‘Art’s Cool’ showcases the artistic talent and creative energy of students from Shetland’s primary and secondary schools. The display comprises drawings, paintings, printing and 3-dimensional pieces and offers fantastic variety and originality. The works range from abstract sea and landscapes, to lino prints of Shetland croft houses; flying tissue birds to collaged Grecian-style pots; and still life studies to ‘Fusion Inclusion’ self-portraits.

SIC Creative Links Officer Noelle Henderson explains: “The work is a reflection of the creativity that has been taking place throughout our schools’ community since lockdown and offers a small window into the lives of young people. It includes a dynamic range of work that covers a variety of subject matters and in different mediums.

“Art and Design classes are such an important part of the curriculum. Not only do they offer many pupils a time in the day when they can get into a different flow and cope better with school and life in general, but the skills of inventive design and creative problem solving are fundamental to everyday life. We hope that the breadth of work on display will allow people a chance to reflect but also serve as an inspirational springboard to consider the creative industries as a career choice.”

Karen Clubb, Exhibitions officer at Shetland Museum and Archives, has been working closely with art teachers to curate the display. She said: “We are so pleased to collaborate with schools and the Education service to programme this thought-provoking exhibition. The work that has been created by pupils is full of energy and optimism and we are delighted to give it a platform in Da Gadderie space. To coincide with the exhibition, we will be running an educational programme of school visits where we will be looking at the museum collection from a design perspective, as well as discussing career opportunities in art.”

Artwork that has not been included in the exhibition will be projected onto screens alongside a series of animations.

Art’s Cool opens on Saturday 12 November at 2.00pm and continues until the end of December 2022.

Read artist Paul Bloomer's review here