NEWS FROM GRAMMAR 2015

Glover Glory
Former Head of Art Katy Woodroffe and current Art teacher James Walker,
both featured as finalists is this year’s prestigious Glover Prize exhibition.
A highly commended Glover finalist, James’ work evolved
from his lifelong interest in aircraft and the memories attached
to the Tasmanian landscape. As a boy James spent time at
Launceston Airport where his father worked for TAA. James
would wander over to the planes, sit in the cockpit and imagine
flying amongst the clouds. Another strong childhood memory
was travelling to Georgetown to visit his grandparents at Low
Head. He incorporated both memories into ‘Making Landfall:
An Eastern Connection’. The painting depicts a Boeing 727
making landfall above Low Head and tells a story of connecting
with places and the memories associated with them. The
painting was sold to a former employee of the airline who
connected with the piece.
As many readers will know since leaving Grammar and moving to Hobart
at the end of 2010, Katy is working full time as an artist. It has been a
dramatic and exhilarating change for her and she feels very lucky to
have encountered some exciting challenges during these past few years.
Highlights include an international winner’s exhibition “Beholding
Beauty” in Rome in 2013 and a solo exhibition at the Saffron Walden
Gallery in England last year. She also feels fortunate to have had work
in several international art fairs last year in places such as Stockholm,
Amsterdam, Hamburg, Battersea, Brussels, Milan, Dubai, Singapore
and Hong Kong - plus some miniprints exhibited in Spain, England and
France. She was also awarded a special prize at the Lessedra World
Print Annual in Bulgaria.
Working as a sign writer and eventually for Qantas; at 35
James changed career paths and studied for a Bachelor of
Contemporary Arts. He worked at Grammar in the Drama and
Art department while completing his Bachelor of Education in
2011. Now James concentrates on teaching Art, Audio and
Contemporary Music. Painting is restricted to holidays but he
finds time to play in a band Electric Boogaloo and is President
of the Launceston Blues Club.
She felt honoured to have her work commissioned for the “Dreamlands”
survey exhibition at the Burnie Regional Art Gallery at the end of 2013
and for it to then to travel to the New Gallery in Launceston and to the
Rosny Barn in Hobart in 2014.
This year she has been busy with an exhibition and presentation at
Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay in March, and a large solo exhibition,
“Inheritance”, at the Colville Gallery in April. An invitation to participate
in a residency and hold an exhibition, “The Crossing”, at the Art Vault
in Mildura in June provides another unexpected adventure for her and
husband John.
She loves meeting up with former students and particularly enjoys
visiting Poimena to keep in touch with her wonderful art colleagues.
Grammar is rightly proud of these two talented
artists.
page 16