The entire Bermuda Society of Arts’ gallery space, the Onions Gallery as well as the Edinburgh Gallery, is presently being used to exhibit the art produced by our school children.

Just about all the schools are represented, including the primary, as well as the middle and secondary schools. This is a large show and if I have any real criticism, it is that it that the art is too crowded together on the walls, producing visual overload.

That said, I am not sure how I could have put the show together in any other way, given the size of the gallery and the large number of art pieces being exhibited. I understand that the show could have been even larger, but because of the size of the gallery, it was necessary to eliminate a number of works. The positive aspect of the exhibition is that there are a number of amazingly good works by some very talented young artists in the show.

The arts in our schools appears to be alive and healthy. This is good, for we now recognise that the arts in education are of core importance in the development of successful, creative individuals. It is equally as important as traditional subjects, like reading, writing and arithmetic.

The considerable variety of materials and techniques used in all the schools, from the elementary level right through the secondary, is an indication of thoughtful, creative teaching. When visiting the exhibition, I wondered if certain schools might stand out for achievement, but certainly at the elementary and middle levels, this is not the case.

It appears that there is a well thought out, detailed syllabus in use that provides a structure, upon which a solid programme can be constructed. I also understand that the teachers meet together monthly, to give consideration to and further discussion of the arts in education.

At the secondary level, I was especially impressed by the process used for arriving at a final product, by the students at Warwick Academy. Not only is the final design exhibited, the entire process is on display, from the initial concept and tentative sketches to the completed work, which in this case is a shoe.

A group of students from Saltus have been working on self-portraits. The technique used is especially intriguing. The paper was first divided up into a grid and then each square was painted, in what could be a small abstract, which in the end the work came together as a human head.

The students from Berkeley have also been working in self-portraits, but their approach is altogether different; each head is a full face charcoal drawing, rather like a mask. Possibly this is the outcome of another assignment: making actual masks in the style of African tribal masks. Both are in this exhibition.

The contributions from the Bermuda High School is more varied than some of the other schools, but nonetheless captivating. I was impressed by an assignment, in which students took a digital photograph of a flower, or other botanical material and then manipulated the realistic photo into something more abstract in a “before and after” display.

In another assignment, students again, produced a portrait in pencil and then repeated the work in coloured pencil and watercolour. It is an exercise, not only in observation but also an investigation of materials.

A number of secondary schools seem to have an art history component incorporated into their studio practice. I observed this with some of the work from CedarBridge Academy and also the Bermuda High School. Some of the CedarBridge students actually made copies from works by master artists, such as Leonardo and Cezanne.

Before the modern period, this was standard practice, but in recent times, in what were considered progressive institutions, this practice was discontinued. It was thought to be inhibitive of creative originality.

Presently, however, it seems to be coming back into use, as it is an effective way of developing certain common skills, such as hatching and cross-hatching in drawing. Some of the students from Bermuda High School appear to have been studying Picasso and Cubism. This has been applied in various ways, including some of their self-portraits.

As with most other schools, the contributions from Mount Saint Agnes Academy are many and varied, but one notable aspect of their work is the colour assignments on display. This resulted in a collection of works in which students not only investigated certain combinations of colours, but also gradations of those colours in an “Op Art” type of design.

Altogether, I found this exhibition to be a stimulating, positive experience. It is a show that has something for everyone. It continues through February 14, 2007.