The College would like to extend their thanks to renowned New Zealand artist, Dr Carole Shepheard  who spent a week at the College to work with Senior painting students, nominated Middle School classes and other talented art students.

Carole is a former Professor of Fine Arts at The University of Auckland; a position she held for many years before taking early retirement and moving to Kawhia in 2007. Here, she set up Te Puti Art Studio for teaching, community art activities and to continue her practice as an exhibiting artist. Carole has exhibited both nationally and internationally with her work being in all major New Zealand Art collections including the Auckland Art Gallery and Te Papa Tongarewa.

This exciting opportunity for our students to work alongside a professional artist of this calibre was organised as part of the Creative Enrichment Programme, an initiative developed by the Enhanced Learning Centre, and the Art and Technology departments. Carole worked alongside the Senior painting students, sharing her knowledge regarding their personal projects and talking to them about their past work.  This was a truly valuable opportunity for students who are passionate about art to learn new techniques and gain insight through critiques of their own work. The Middle School students worked with Carole’s guidance to produce a monochrome print through the printing press.

A multi-media artist, Carole is interested in museum and private collections and uses this information in her art making. Whilst at the College, Carole was also working on her own artwork in readiness for an exhibition overseas. This allowed our students to observe the process of an artist creating her own work and to ask questions.

In 1991, she was made a Commonwealth International Woman of the Year for her services to art; an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 and gained her Doctorate of Fine Arts in 2004. As well as her art making, she also works as independent curator, arts consultant and writer. There was enormous benefit for our students to learn from Carole’s extensive experience.

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