The Bermuda Schools 48th Annual Student Art ExhibitionA Review by Charles ZuillThe Bermuda School’s 48th Annual Student Art Exhibition is currently on show in the several galleries of the Bermuda Society of Arts and impressive it truly is.That is not only my take, however, it seems to be the general consensus of those who have seen this exhibition as well. We have some really talented young artists in our midst. Additionally, we also have some dedicated and inspiring art teachers.The arts play an important role in education. Indeed, the importance of the arts in education has long been recognised in more progressive schools systems. Nevertheless, I still continue to hear stories of cutbacks, doubling-up, and even the elimination of art teachers in our own art programmes, despite the fact of the arts being associated with higher academic performance.From my own observations as an art instructor in several liberal arts colleges, my art students frequently performed well above average in the sciences, foreign languages and in just about any discipline you would care to mention.As to why art training seems to be a factor in the enhancement of cognitive development, is a matter of ongoing research and with that in mind, I recommend seeing Sir Ken Robinson in several TED TALKS on the internet. He is an authority on the importance of creativity and the arts in education. He is also an engaging and entertaining speaker.Now back to the School’s Art Exhibition. I have been writing about this annual exhibition for a number of years now and in doing so, I have looked at each exhibition very carefully, even though they have always been on the large side. Keep in mind that just about every Bermuda school, as well as every pupil, is represented. If my memory is serving me correctly, comparing this year’s exhibition with those from the past, I think this year’s show is one of the best.I used to think that I could detect differences in the quality of the work between the different schools, and that the performance of some schools was generally better than others. But, today, that is no longer the case. Of course, some individuals will be more talented than others, but these are found in no particular school.I think back to my own school days, when, because of the Second World War, supplies were difficult to obtain, and it was not unusual for us to make art from whatever scraps we could find.Today, the variety of techniques, tools and materials available to students is astounding. Besides the traditional arts, such as drawings, paintings and sculpture, I saw examples of printmaking, ceramics, photography, papier-mâché masks, mobiles and 3-D designs and probably other art techniques, throughout the exhibition.Additionally, some creations are based on the work of certain well-known artists or styles, so it seems that the students are learning something about art history as well.As I walked about the show, I made note of the work of some of the more outstanding students, but in naming these artists, it is inevitable, given the size of the show, that I will leave out others equally important.Here are some on my list; Ben Howland and Bianca Columbi from Bermuda High School, Gabrielle DeShields from Bermuda Institute, Indigo Palacio and Daiquiu Jennings-Arorash, from Cedarbridge, Danielle Clark from Berkeley Institute, Hugo Caillere from Heron Bay, Skye Minors from Purvis Primary, Zack Friesen and Timothy Clark, as well as a group project of ceramic figure by classes 7 & 8 from Warwick Academy, Nahshon Hollis, Shanna Hollis and Zoe Simmons from Saltus, Amirh Wade from Whitney Institute, and several other projects, such as a group of bubble prints by unnamed students from Northlands Primary. I also noted a kite mobile from Victor Scott.Given that all the schools are represented, from primary and middle schools to secondary, you would expect the work of younger students to differ in skills than that the older students and of course, this is the case. I would not have you think, however, that the work from the primary or middle schools is of lesser interest than that from the secondary schools. Indeed, the artistic creations of young children have their own particular charms.It is notable that Paul Klee who was an important and influential modern artist, placed considerable value on the art of children and Picasso said that all children are artists, the trick is to remain one as an adult.The Bermuda Society of Arts is to be commended for hosting the school’s art exhibition each year, for 48 years now. BSoA, as a non-profit, depends on sales of art from their exhibitions, in order to survive, so taking a month out of their regular yearly schedule to host a non-selling exhibition, is a considerable sacrifice. They do it because they recognise the importance of supporting our students.We also need to support our students by at least visiting this schools exhibition. It is a must. The exhibition continues through Tuesday, April 2, 2013.