MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1 NOVEMBER 2021

SCAMP Project and Cessnock Contemporary Art Exhibition

SCAMP is a Schools Contemporary Art Mentoring Program for selected high school students in the Cessnock LGA. Dr Merryn Hull, a Sydney and Hunter Valley-based contemporary artist www.merrynhull.com is the instigator and coordinator of this program.

Eight Year 10 and Year 11 students from the four high schools in Cessnock LGA were selected by their art teachers to be mentored by eight professional, contemporary artists from Sydney and the Hunter Valley. Throughout terms three and four, despite the challenges of lockdowns, the students were mentored using Zoom.

The students are working with eight practicing artists, a collaboration of Visual Arts PhD graduates from the Hunter Valley and Sydney, to deliver the program during Term 3, 2021. The project is currently underway and was due for completion on Saturday 11 September 2021, however this date has been extended due to COVID 19 restrictions. The opening night of the exhibition is now scheduled for Friday 3 December.

The resulting art exhibition, Cessnock Contemporary, will now run from Saturday 4 December through Sunday 12 December and has the support of the Director of The National Gallery of Australia, Nick Mitzevich (a former Kurri Kurri high school boy) and will be opened by John McDonald, Art critic, Sydney Morning Herald, Film critic, Australian Financial Review. John was born in Cessnock, therefore understands the limitations of studying and pursuing art in a regional city. This is a special project and unique in Australia. Over 150 people will be invited to the opening – from Sydney, Newcastle, Maitland, and the Cessnock area.

The eight mentees already possess strong art skills and have been nominated by their schools to be part of SCAMP. The program offers a very different type of experience in terms of exposure to the art world by working with practicing artists to develop a body of work for exhibition. The project exposes students to a “bigger world view” and enables them to gain confidence engaging with professional artists. The mentees despite their enthusiasm are often uncertain about an arts related career and the program offers ways to explore the realities of this.

“This can be transformative: a life changing experience for one kid,” Senior art teacher, Cessnock.

Objectives of SCAMP:

• Supporting young students from a socio-economically disadvantaged schools in a regional area
• Enabling students to experience a wider world working with a diverse group of mentors
• Foster relations with Maitland Regional Art Gallery and the National Art Gallery by working with their curators
• Showcasing their art at Cessnock Contemporary and giving awards to facilitate introductions to art institutions and galleries

A grant was received from the NSW government through CreateNSW to enable the project to proceed. Also, a number of Cessnock local businesses have supported by paying for advertising in the SCAMP catalogue and giving product for the opening night.

A catalogue is being prepared to showcase the students works and their commentaries alongside their mentors with introductions from John McDonald and Nick Mitzevich.

We hope that ABC Rural will look to support such a project and we look forward to providing more information and an interview with Dr. Merryn Hull if interested.

Lee Moore
Volunteer Marketing/PR SCAMP

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