Kids create at art workshop

A chance to create and explore the beauty of art was on offer for kids during the school holidays when the Baw Baw Arts Alliance hosted its annual 'NGV Kids on Tour' event at Trafalgar Public Hall.

For the past eight years BBAA members have committed time to running the free art program, supplied by the National Gallery of Victoria.
The program is designed to ignite children's imagination and creativity and encourage families to take advantage of exhibitions and activities run throughout each year at the NGV in Melbourne.

Program leader Prue Barridge, along with other members of the BBAA, supplements the NGV program with a wide range of creative art activities.
Evidence of the popularity of this free offering was in the increasing numbers attending, from the starting point some years ago when there were 12 children, to the 2026 program when more than 40 people attended.

Activities available covered a wide range of artistic forms, from decorating a template of a cake with ribbon and beads led by Karen Anne Jones to creating surface texture on a drawing of an 18th century perfume bottle with paper clay under the guidance of Jessie McLennan.

BBAA secretary Jeff Thege had children playing with paint while mixed media artist Deb Churchill had children developing a complex paper artwork of a caterpillar crawling on a leaf while she played tag team with Sue Murphy and Carol Monson to oversee decoration of out-of-the-ordinary paper hats.

Janine Richardson managed to have children create their own 3D paper ladybird which stood on a surface independently while fibre artist Marlene Ogden assisted children to make leafy, beaded neck pieces. Dedicated BBAA member Margaret Darvill helped children create strange Australian landscapes with materials from the NGV.

Keep an eye on the BBAA website for the many art functions and activities conducted during the year.

As well as regular exhibitions at the Station Gallery in Yarragon and drop-in groups at the Artspaces in Trafalgar, the third space used by the BBAA - the VRI Hall in Warragul - has more drop-in groups and a full calendar of activities on the third Saturday of each month. The 'Drop-in Groups Expo' will be held on February 21 in the VRI Hall while the Arts and Makers Market is on.

The local art fun didn't stop there either after a free kids art activity with Jo Draisma at the West Gippsland Arts Centre as part of their Forecourt Friday.
The next Forecourt Friday will take place on Friday February 27.