A NEW art exhibition which opened at the Euroa Library on Saturday, 22 March has shown the artistic impact of professional artists on the children at Euroa Primary School.
Celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama - whose work in currently on display at the NGV in Melbourne - is a renowned international artist using the media of dot painting, drawing, and collage, styles which have inspired students to develop her techniques to allow their own creativity to flourish.
The exhibition is funded by the Friends of the Library community group which runs the Already Read Bookshop in Binney Street.
Friends founding member Leanne Baker helped with the hanging of the works and said the now thirty-year-old group was important to the Euroa community.
"The friends have paid for the installation of the rails that the artwork hangs on," Ms Baker said.
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"The money we raise in the bookshop goes towards other things as well."
The group is widely recognised also for its philanthropic contributions to local schools with Ms Baker saying both Euroa Primary School and Secondary College, St John's Primary School, and Longwood Primary School had each been given $5000.
"The money pays for more than just installations or the library," Ms Baker said.
"We donated with a literary focus to the schools because we want children to come to the library and not just borrow books but use computers and borrow DVDs and magazines."
Euroa Primary School art teacher and student wellbeing leader Deb Dingwall spoke about Yayoi Kusama introducing the concept of an 'obliteration space'.
"We've been featured in Euroa for a number years, and our visual arts program links to a feature artist each term and the students explored not only Yayoi's dot painting and collages, but also her installations," Ms Dingwall said.
"We actually have in the art room our own 'obliteration' space.
"At Yoyoi's exhibitions these are designed as an interactive space for visitors to contribute.
"People are given coloured stickers and stick them on a white empty space.
"In ours, students put the dots wherever they like and so can connect with the kids who were there the day before."
Ms Dingwall started her art teaching career at Euroa 'many years ago now', having majored in art at Deakin University's Burwood campus.
She said her inspiration comes from First Nations art.
"Particularly the fibre craft," she said.
"I don't do it myself but mainly collect it and visit their communities to see it."
That interaction has led to Ms Dingwall's modus operandi for exposing the students' work from a community mind set, and she said the school's art was widely shown in the area at every opportunity.
"We enjoy being 'community in and community out' - we like being part of the community."
