By Vanessa Chircop
FOR Amy Redmond competing in the Hello! Laverton Youth Art Prize 2010 is not about winning prizes – it’s about having fun and exhibiting her work.
The 17-year-old who is part of the StreetsmART group will enter a spray painted graffiti-style work.
Amy said being a street artist has its rewards and frustrations.
“Council don’t often let us do our street projects – as soon as the council hear the words graffiti they turn us down,” she said.
“But some of the work that we (streetsmART) have been commissioned to do are amazing art works and they’re on show for everyone not just in an exhibition.
“Street art is very complicated thing to be involved in because some people look down on it and others respect it.”
The Bayside P-12 College student said most of her subjects at school were arts based and she hopes to one-day work in photography.
“This is something that I enjoy but I don’t really show many people,” she said.
“I don’t really like to talk about things but drawing is kind of like my journal.”
The first ever Laverton Youth Art Prize will be held on the weekend starting Friday 19 November to Saturday 20 November.
The launch party for the exhibition will begin at 6:30pm on Friday where Member for Altona Jill Hennessy MP will officially open the exhibition. Many of the artworks in the exhibition are coming from students at the Laverton P-12 College and from the StreetsmART group.
Youth Voice Committee representative Cr Luba Grigorovitch said the exhibition gave young people a chance to express themselves through their art.
“This exhibition gives Hobsons Bay’s younger residents a chance to demonstrate how talented they are,” Cr Grigorovitch said.
Amy told Star she is excited about the competition but exhibiting artwork is nerve-racking. For more information on the exhibition, call 9932 4000 or 1800 111 100.
