I was invited today to represent the Minister for Arts, Vanessa Goodwin, to open an exhibition of works by young artists from around the State at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) as part of the second Make Your Mark youth art project.

Make Your Mark is a youth art initiative of TMAG, made possible with funding from Detached Cultural Organisation, and delivered this year in partnership with five local councils: Huon Valley, Hobart, Waratah-Wynyard, Central Coast and West Tamar.

As part of the project, TMAG has supported the councils to deliver an art program in the community for youth aged 13 to 23, outside of a formal education setting or school environment.

This year the project has focused on the theme of ‘Respect’ and the young artists have used the medium of electronic art to explore the issues most important to them.

They have been working in their local areas over the past few months alongside professional artists in order to develop their technical skills and professional awareness, and to create the selection of works now on show at TMAG.

In their works, the young artists have explored topics as diverse as environmental values, self-identity in the online realm, and domestic violence, while using analogue and digital technologies as their creative medium.

An exhibition of their works at the TMAG is fantastic recognition and a celebration of the achievement and effort by all of the project participants.

TMAG is to be congratulated for leading the way in innovative art education, both at the museum and out in the community through initiatives such as Make Your Mark.

This year’s exhibition follows on from the first successful iteration of the project last year, Make Your Mark: Freedom. A third project is also underway, Make Your Mark: Death, which will culminate in an exhibition at TMAG in March 2016.

Make Your Mark: Respect is on show in the Bond Store Basement at TMAG from Friday, 13 November until Sunday, 29 November 2015. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

For further information visit www.tmag.tas.gov.au
Elise Archer, Speaker of the House of Assembly Liberal Member for Denison