Workshops

   The following articles and photos display a number of workshops (and the finished products from these workshops)
   conducted by Mardi Kearney.

  Page 22 - The Queensland Times, Saturday, April 24, 2004

Religious Art Comes Alive - Children embrace new sculpture of Mary

Religious art has come alive at Carmel College, Thornlands, thanks to a new sculpture of Mary placed outside the school chapel. Principal Faye Conley said the idea for the sculpture came from the school community, who wanted religious artifacts that were meaningful to the students.

Mardi Kearney was commissioned to create the sculpture, which took more than a year to complete. Until recently Mardi was a teacher aide at St Peter Claver College Riverview.

"I've tried really hard to make Mary accessible to the students," Mardi says. "When I was a child Mary was always placed far away, high up on a wall. I wanted to bring her closer to the students and get them to realise that she was a person just like them."

Mardi has also encouraged interaction with the sculpture by placing two matching seats next to Mary in a popular area of the school just outside the new college chapel. "I wanted to create a place where students could sit and feel close to God," Mardi says.

Mrs Conley said the students have really embraced the sculpture. So much so that when the sculpture was damaged recently, the students were highly offended by the act of vandalism. Fortunately, the statue has now been repaired.

Carmel College has a very strong visual arts program with more than 390 students participating in art related activities. Judy Di Mauro is the coordinator of the school art program.

"The key to our success lies in allowing the students to be individuals and letting them explore different media in their own way," says Judy.

The Year 12 Art students are holding an exhibition of their work at the Ipswich City Council Library. The students have been working on the pieces exhibited as part of a project designed by them in collaboration with local sculptor Mardi Kearney.

A proposal was put forward to the Ipswich City Council who made the project possible with a grant from the Regional Arts Development Fund. The exhibition titled 'Mind & Body' is a combination of sculptures and works on paper, and I would encourage parents and friends to take some time to see some excellent work.

 Ipswich Festival 'Across Cultures', April 9, 2000