Visual Arts Access/Open Art Program
Coordinator: Barbara Nicholson
Visual Arts Access can be the beginning of your artistic career. The Visual Arts Access Program (formerly Open Art) was established to provide the Canberra community and surrounding region with access to a full range of visual arts and crafts disciplines in the dynamic atmosphere of the ANU School of Art.

Day and evening classes, as well as intensive short courses are offered for all levels of expertise in areas such as etching, lithography, ceramics, photography, sculpture, cabinet making, woodwork, textiles, glass, jewellery, life drawing, landscape drawing, watercolour, folio preparation, general drawing, computer aided art and a variety of painting media.

Courses are available at basic, intermediate and advanced levels allowing students to follow through a course of study. There are weekly daytime, evening and weekend classes. In addition, the Summer and Winter schools offer short intensive courses and field trips run over three to five days. Previous field trips have included expeditions to Central Australia and Charlottes Pass, and have focused on botanical illustration, landscape painting and drawing.

Students who enrol in the VAA Program have access to the School’s specialist visual arts library, including computer catalogues, audio-visual library and CD-ROM resources.

For information on current courses click here

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The Folio Preparation courses allow students to compile a folio of work for presentation at an art school entrance interview. Over the semester, the course covers a range of media and subject matter to allow students to develop a cohesive portfolio and includes life drawing, general and observational drawing, painting and mixed media projects.

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Visual Arts Access offers weekend and school holiday art classes for young people which provide an exciting introduction to a range of subjects and techniques including ceramics, drawing, painting and printmaking techniques and sculpture. Classes are available for 8–9, 10–11 and 12–14 year olds.

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Visual Arts Access can provide Workshops for special interest groups on request. In the past these have included short courses for the NSW Art Educators Society, The ACT Art Teachers Association, The Riverina Area Art Teachers Association and Aboriginal led workshops for undergraduate Japanese visual art students.

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Classes take place in the ANU School of Art Workshops. These purpose built Workshops are well equipped with specialised resources, providing Visual Arts Access students with a professional studio environment. In addition students can use the specialist visual arts library, and the Art Supply Shop and Chat's Cafe which are open for the convenience of Open Art students.

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The staff of Open Art are all practicing artists and include academic staff, graduates and current post graduates of the School of Art. They provide a high standard of expertise and are experienced at providing instruction for the full range of abilities, from beginners to advanced students.

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For further information regarding commencement of course, enrolment and payment procedures contact the ANU’s Centre for Continuing Education, who administer the Visual Arts Access Program for the School of Art.
Telephone: +61 2 6125 2892
Fax: +61 2 6125 5938
email: vaa.cce@anu.edu.au

For information on current courses click here

Barbara Nicholson
Coordinator Visual Arts Access
Email: Barbara.Nicholson@anu.edu.au
Telephone: (02) 6125 5991

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