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The power of art should never be underestimated, and so it’s always a delight to hear of pupils exploring their creativity in this way.

For St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, this has become a reality after their school was transformed into a beautiful gallery… powered by art from the pupils themselves!

Colourful paintings adorn the walls of the North Shields school where the young artists have been channelling their very own ‘Pitmen Painters’ style.

Understandably so, pupils have been delighted to show their work to family members and the wider community. If you’re interested in taking a look and appreciating the talents and efforts yourself, you can do so here. (Picture credit: Kate Buckingham/Barking Dog Media.)

Pupils find inspiration in the Pitmen Painters

The theme of this year’s special art exhibition was ‘The Pitmen Painters’,  a small society of mine worker artists whose paintings became popular in the 1930s and 40s.

The pupils found a great source of inspiration and motivation from the work of the Ashington group, which included Oliver Kilbourn, George Blessed, Jimmy Floyd, Harry Wilson, Len Robinson, John F Harrison and Fred Laidler.

In the run-up to the three-day exhibition, which opened to family visitors on November 8, all pupils at St Mary’s, a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, took part in Big Art Week.

Colette Bland, Head Teacher, said: “We select a theme for the week, and each teacher in classes Nursery to Year 6 plans a week-long unit exploring the theme, teaching skills and techniques, and providing the children with opportunities to create wonderful pieces of art, individually and collaboratively.

“The project is completely inclusive and all the children take part.

“This year the theme for our art week was The Pitmen Painters – we were hoping through their works to provide the children with an insight into the lives of a mining community, and to ignite in them an interest in local history.”

Something the whole community can benefit from and appreciate

The project was coordinated by St Mary’s Art Lead, Kirsty Jones, who encouraged the children to use a range of different media – from painting, collage and sculpture, to printing and textiles – to produce their own pieces inspired by the work of the artist miners.

Their finished artwork was then displayed in the exhibition for the whole school community to appreciate.

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Art plays such a crucial role in life, enriching our experiences and shaping our perspectives. Encouraging students to get involved in art can be so important for their development.

“A huge well done to all pupils and staff involved in this project. All the pieces really do look wonderful, but it’s really the effort and messaging behind the paintings that matter most.”

Mrs Bland continued: “Family and friends were able to view the children’s artwork at our annual exhibition.

“Every year following the week’s work, we transform our school into an art gallery, where every child has pieces of their work displayed. It is one of the highlights of the school year – the children love to show their families around and are incredibly proud of their work.”

An annual project that teaches a range of skills

Previous themes for St Mary’s annual art event have included Ten Pieces, Vincent Van Gough, Art in Different Cultures, The Ocean, Henri Matisse, and Modern Art.

“Events like these are hugely important to our school,” added Mrs Bland. “They give our children the opportunity to immerse themselves in a theme, to research, develop skills, and work on pieces of art using a range of media, to review their work and modify it until they are proud of the final result.

“Seeing their work on display in our gallery, and experiencing the joy and pride of our school community seeing their work, is a wonderful experience. Visitors are always very impressed by the standard of work the children produce.”

Great work, everyone! We’re already looking forward to next year’s theme and the subsequent paintings.

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