ART PROJECTS AND SCHOOL SESSIONS
ART PROJECTS AND SCHOOL SESSIONS
PROJECTS
Sherry Johnstone is not only an artist but also an educator and author. Over the past 15 years Sherry has invested her time into a diverse range of art projects around Victoria. From private commissioned works to collaborative art project involving children in school.
• Aboriginal themed murals
• Collaborative art projects/pieces with children
• Commissioned artwork
• Installation art – wooden feature poles with wood burnt designs and painting
• Design and development
Materials required for class activities or art projects are to be supplied by the service or school, otherwise they will be added to the overall costs if unavailable.
Prices will vary and be calculated according to the distance travelled and reflective of the design/ materials activity required.
Contact Sherry at any time for a free quote. Click here to link to enquiries form.
CLIENT'S COMMENTS
“Impressed with Sherry’s artwork, we approached her about painting four poles to mark the front entrance of our new home. We wanted something unique, welcoming and indigenous. Sherry readily admitted she had not worked on timber before but was willing to give it a go. Sherry worked with us, discussing wood types, themes, colours and figures. We felt part of the creative process, enjoying the pleasure of exploring something new and learning about local indigenous stories.
The poles themselves are stunning! Each tells a story of welcome and us. Not only are they beautifully crafted and painted, they represent a unique piece of local indigenous culture. We feel the poles are pieces to be honoured and cherished of which we are grateful custodians. We could not think of a better feature to welcome people to our home.
Thank you Sherry.
Sarah-Jane and Tom”
FAMILY VIOLENCE ARTWORK
In June 2017 I decided to enter an art competition for Aboriginal artists to create an artwork that would reflect Family Violence from an Aboriginal perspective.
Much to my surprise I won and my artwork now represents the Peeneeyt Kanditj, meaning 'strong relationships', South West Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander Family Violence Police Protocols regional information booklet. The original artwork takes pride of place in the Warrnambool Police station.
ABORIGINAL EARLY YEARS ACTIVITY RESOURCE
In 2018, this useful resource was regionally launched and made available at Warrnambool Books. I created this resource for teachers in the hope they gain some confidence and ideas to easily incorporate Aboriginal culture within their programs and services.
It includes:
- 10 activities based on 10 children’s books with a cultural context
- 2 games activities with one including local language names for the animals
- 4 symbols activities
- A language pronunciation guide
- 8 template sheets
- A page of references, recommended books and purchase details of resources not available in book stores as well as some local language links
This resource is subject to copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study, training or teaching purposes or by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations subject to the acknowledgment of the source and no commercial use or sale.
DESIGNS
I was contacted through Melbourne University to design the Let’s CHAT Dementia logo for their National awareness program to be delivered by 12 Aboriginal Community and Care Organisations over the next 4 years. This logo will be used widely on various items such as t-shirts and brochures etc. to promote the program.
‘On Track Logo Design'
A bit about the project:
The Centre for Research of Excellence (CRE) focuses on the health and wellbeing of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their families, carers and communities. They focus particularly on brain health. In this 5 year project, they will be working with communities across Australia to find better ways of supporting older people to live well and age well - particularly when it comes to brain health.
Meaning of the On TRACK artwork
I have used a tree as the main object to represent health for Aboriginal people as they need to be connected to their culture, family and Country in order to feel at their best, like a tree needs air, water and is connected to Mother Earth through its roots, to stand tall and strong.
I have done the brain as the treetop which can also be looked at as just the top of the tree but inside the brain is all the connections that will be made through this program, with the circles representing the different mobs and community groups that will benefit from the information and the green connecting lines representing the connections and networking it will create through-out Australia.
The pattern in the tree trunk represents water nourishing the tree for optimal health and longevity, just as it does for our people.
The leaves on the outside represent Country and bush medicine as being connected to Country is Aboriginal people’s medicine. We can never underestimate the healing power of Country and the deep sense of well-being it creates, pleasing all the senses.
The journey lines represent the people’s journey towards healthy choices to improve their brain health, which in turn, will affect many other areas in their lives that will also benefit. The footprints represent the people on their journey. At the bottom of the tree trunk is a pattern that represents Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people working together towards a healthier future.
Brambuk Summer Series (The Grampians)
In December 2021 and January 2022 it was great to be asked to facilitate 2 x 2hr Storytelling Through Art workshops with community as part of the Connect to Country in Gariwerd hosted by The National Park and Cultural Centre in Halls Gap. I was able to take them on a journey telling my own personal and professional story to becoming a Contemporary Aboriginal artist, sharing my practice with participants, teaching them about some of our traditional symbols and encouraging and guiding them to create their own pieces on canvas to take home after gaining inspiration from my story and artworks.
School Sessions
Emmanuel College
2022-23- In 2022 I started Story Telling through art sessions with the year 9 students at Emmanuel College as part of their Cultural Immersion Week.
In these sessions I start by talking about my journey to becoming a Contemporary Aboriginal Artist, my identity challenges, work experiences and personal and professional growth. I talk about my artworks, explaining how I represent different things through symbols and encourage the students to create their own masterpiece inspired by my work and guided by myself when they are coming up with designs and painting. These sessions have also continued through 2023.
The students amaze me with their own storytelling abilities and perspectives, I really enjoy seeing what they come up with.
Merri River School
2022- In 2022 I spent an hour and a half each week over two terms (Terms 2 & 3) with the 8 Aboriginal students at Merri River School, co- facilitating with Art Therapist Jodie Honan. Together we helped the students explore their aboriginality and connections and feelings that came from that as well as some trips out on Country to help them creatively express these feelings and experiences onto canvases that were then put up on a wall for permanent display within the school. I was very proud of what the students produced and know that the students also get a sense of pride whenever they walk past their work on the wall. It is a special reminder of their cultural connections from their perspective.
INTERACTIVE ARTWORK AT ST JOSEPH’S PRIMARY SCHOOL – COLERAINE
I spent two full days with the Coleraine students, ranging from Prep to grade 6. On the first day, they showed me their new garden area which reflected the research they had done on
the Aboriginal history of the area. It reflected Coleraine as a gathering place in which Aboriginal people would meet and trade. The children had been researching and drawing the animals that inhabit the area from the four different clans that came from the North-East, South-East, South-West and North-West surrounding areas. We talked about and looked at art, their art and mine and went through the story that each one told.
We then went onto symbols. I taught the children some local symbols, which they soaked in quickly and by the end of the day had made their own symbol story.
I then took their stories home and came up with a design for an artwork that incorporated some of the children’s stories but represented the gathering place that Coleraine was and
included symbols and some of the animals they had been learning about. The large cross, represented their Christian beliefs, intertwining this with the Aboriginal symbols, having the symbols for men, women and children coming together and passing on knowledge through message sticks, which the school does on a daily basis. I prepared the artwork at home and had drawn on the finishing touches for the children to finish on my second visit to the school. Once that was done the children painted on the animal tracks and to finish, I added on each child’s handprint to complete the piece for the children to be proud of their contribution and finished product.
Port Fairy Consolidated School
2023 - I was asked to create an artwork after doing a session with the schools 4 Aboriginal students. They created some artworks inspired by my work and after learning about some symbols, then I took their work home and created a new artwork inspired by their work, which the school will use as building signage, pot plants and poles around the school. You will find the original piece hanging in reception at the school.
Strong Spirits Program
Back in October 2021 over 5 weeks, I was very lucky to be engaged to facilitate the Strong Spirits Youth Art Program funded through Bethany.
This program encouraged youth to connect to self, each other, community, and culture through art. It was a chance for the youth to explore their feelings and perspectives on what makes our spirits strong and what can be the barriers. The youth collaborated on canvases to create
their artworks that reflected this.
These artworks were then displayed throughout different services in the community to gain exposure and spread their stories.
INTERACTIVE ARTWORK AT WARRNAMBOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL
Back in 2018, I was asked to produce a mural project including all 3 Prep classes based on the children’s book titled:
Molly The Grey Kangaroo and the Bush Clean-Up Crew.
This book has a great message about the effect our rubbish has on the animals and the environment when we don’t put our rubbish in the bin. Firstly I read the book to all three Prep classes and had the children draw their favourite scenario from the book.
On my next visit I then involved the first Prep class in painting the background of the Mural.
The second Prep class collected natural materials, such as bark, leaves, sticks and grass to glue onto the board.
The third Prep class I had kept and laminated all of their animal characters they had drawn from the book, so they could be an interactive part of the mural. As I had screwed in small cup holders into the Mural board so the children could hang the characters on the hooks during recess and lunch times and create their own scenarios.
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