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- Sample Ashton 2D works
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The Art of Community Engagement : Dr. Linda Ashton
Since graduating from Townsville Teachers’ College in 1972 the arts have been the main integrating device for my personal and professional development and teaching across early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education contexts. I was a founding member of The N.Q. Ballet Company (precursor to Dance North) which provided a unique blend of skills & knowledge in the performing arts, costume and music. This grounding complemented my tertiary qualifications in education and visual arts, and expertise in digital art.
In the late seventies and early eighties I ran free after school art, music and dance classes for children in Darwin and Tennant Creek. This early career interest in facilitating free community access extended into making public and community arts projects over the last 10 years, always with an education focus. Consequently, most of my personal creative work is embedded in larger projects where communal benefit replaces the desire for individual expression, commercial gain or self-centred feel good factor. The range of art media we employ ranges from drawing to ceramics, installation, photography, mosaic, mixed media, construction, textiles, painting and photoshop image manipulation. Wherever possible, I recycle media to lighten the environmental footprint of the works made. The main purpose of my own art making is often to highlight the fragility and beauty of nature and to celebrate the wonderful diversity of cultural groups who share the world we live in.
As a tertiary educator, it has also been my passion and privilege to share with learners of all ages, the egalitarian idea that making art is truly for everyone, not just a privileged few. In so doing it has been critical to challenge the dominant social discourses which frame artistic talent as a magical or innate gift. After thirty years teaching experience, doctoral research, national and international publications, local and national recognition for teaching excellence, I can confidently state that creativity in the arts is not about one's genes. It is about opportunity and access to arts genres, modelled in a supportive, collaborative learning environment, where there is a shared sense of place, purpose, passion and practice.
Throughout my extended teaching career I have continuously sought ways to celebrate the arts with and for Indigenous people. One significant outcome in 1992, was facilitation of a set of 13 original songs locally recorded by Bwgcolman School children from Palm Island. Since 2004, when my grown children finally became independent, there has been a bit more time to devote to regenerating my personal art practice. Samples of some of my most recent works and private commissions will gradually be added to this site. A cross-cultural focus often features in my work. This was a small part of the recent JCU Ceremonial Renaming of The Eddie Mabo Library in 2008. My triptych artwork “From Dreamtime to Sorrytime” was presented to the School of Australian Indigenous Studies and featured on the official publication for the library's renaming event.
If the sample ppt below and its inclusive community engagement focus interests you ..... read on and welcome to my image-laden website (commenced Dec 14th 2008). I will be building and updating the site on a regular basis so check out the latest additions to each menu item.
jcuashton05.ppt | |
File Size: | 13139 kb |
File Type: | ppt |