Inspiring creative endeavours

The Arts have long been a central and vital plank in the School’s curriculum and character.

The Visual Arts Department at Geelong Grammar School is a vibrant, inspiring and engaging environment where we strive to give our students an opportunity to be original and brave. All year groups, from Early Learning to Year 12, are encouraged to experience unfamiliar methods, media and materials, to take up challenging projects and approaches, to extend the boundaries of their expertise and attain a range of new skills and knowledge.

Classroom Visual Arts

The Visual Arts are a key component of the School’s Academic Curriculum, from our Early Learning Centres to Year 12.

The ELC and Primary years develop knowledge and skills, nurturing imagination and creative expression.

The development of imagination and expression continues at Middle School (Years 5-8), where the study of art and culture links to developing an understanding of artistic styles and practices.

Timbertop students explore drawing, painting, pastels, charcoal and watercolour in a unique learning environment that is deeply immersed in the natural world. The visual diary is an integral component of the developmental processes taught.

There is a significant increase in the diversity and range of Visual Arts subjects offered at Senior School (Years 10-12).

In Years 11 and 12, students may continue to study Art through VCE Studio Arts and Visual Communication Design (VCD) and through the IB Diploma Visual Arts course (SL and HL).

Art Exhibitions

The Visual Arts maintain a dynamic and important role in the lives of our students and the wider Geelong Grammar School community through a lively exhibition programme. Our School hosts a number of exhibition events that allow the display of art from students at every campus, along with pieces by visiting and professional artists including the Artist-in-Residence programme.

The annual PRIMED Exhibition showcases the best works created by Year 12 students enrolled in IB Visual Arts, VCE Studio Arts and VCE Visual Communication Design (VCD).

The annual Coriobald Prize portrait exhibition features more than 150 portraits of members of the Geelong Grammar School community.

The annual Middle School Art and Design Exhibition features artworks by more than 200 students from Years 5 to 8.

Student artwork is exhibited throughout our other campuses, Bostock House and Timbertop Campus, whilst the Toorak Campus also hosts a Biennial Art Exhibition.

2023 PRIMED Exhibition

Visiting Artists Programme

Geelong Grammar School’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) programme offers students rare insight into the working methods of professional practitioners. Over nine days, the artists live at Corio Campus and set up a makeshift studio where our students and staff can observe the artist at work.

During their residency, the artists engage students in discussion, processes and practices, showing examples of their work and discussing their own career pathway. Integral to the Programme is the opportunity for the students to experience, parallel to their own creative idea development, a professional artist working to a similar brief.

Discover visiting artists

World leading pathways

By Year 12, students leave our programme with an impressive folio of work ready to transfer into an art or design-related course at tertiary level. Our graduates have been accepted into some of world’s leading art and design institutions, including Central Saint Martins (CSM) College at the University of the Arts London (UAL), the London College of Communication and the UK’s prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture, as well as the Rhode Island School of Design and the Pratt Institute in New York.

A number of our graduates also choose to study art and design at leading Australian universities, pursuing further studies in fine art, communication design, advertising, interior design, architecture and industrial design.

Visual Arts Scholarship

The Russell Drysdale Scholarship for Visual Arts forms a part of our Scholarship programme and is offered to students with an aptitude and enthusiasm for Visual Arts.

Hear more from a recent Russell Drysdale Visual Arts Scholar

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS