April 27, 2024

*(Left to Right)* Peter Strachan, Naomi Every, Jasmin Hasselkuss, Charles Zuill, and Sarah Pierroz.

A few days ago, I had opportunity to visit the IB Art Exhibition at Somersfield Academy. I was invited to see the show, otherwise I would not have known about it, Viewing the show was for me a real pleasure and I was also able to meet the three young artists responsible for creating it. They are Jasmin Hasselkuss, Naomi Every and Peter Strachan; Additionally, I met their teacher, Sarah Pierroz who is in her own right an accomplished artist and an experienced educator.

Having spent a good deal of my professional life teaching the visual arts, I have a keen interest in what students do. What was impressive about this show was not only the quality of the work, but also the technical variety on display. Not only was there the more traditional paintings and drawings, but also welded sculpture, ceramic sculpture, kites, printmaking (linocuts and serigraphy) and photography, to name a few.

Each student, it seems, selected a theme, on which they then built their part of the show. Jasmine Hasselkuss created her art around the “multifaceted nature of dependency,” such as substances abuse or co-dependency etc, while Naomi Every took as her subject Bermuda’s allure. Peter Strachan took as his theme certain fishing methods employed by Portuguese fisheries.

In my own school days during World War II. We were lucky to be given a rather thin drawing pad and a pencil and possibly a few crayons. Often we resorted to making-do with scraps of paper, off-cuts of wood, nails and a hammer, but with whatever, we created.

Well, for sure today, there is a greater emphasis on the importance of creative activities in education. Equally there has been a corresponding improvement in facilities. It is now recognised that the arts are an important ancillary to other aspects of learning and are not just something extracurricular. It has been demonstrated conclusively that students in art programmes tend to be high achievers in academic subjects as well.

I am now thinking of a clinker built boat, the work of Peter Strachan, that was the central feature of the Somersfield IB show. I estimate that from bow to stern, it was four feet long and with a symbolic eye painted near the bow. Apparently Portuguese fishermen emblazon their boats with this symbol to help guarantee a good catch.

Nearby and again hanging from the ceiling, As was Peter’s boat, are a pair of Bermuda head-stick kites, the work of Naomi Every.

Jasmin Hasselkuss, created an intriguing double headed hammer attached to what I imagine was the curved tops of walking sticks, I noted also her impressive drawings skills and a superbly sculpted, highly realistic hand.

This was a splendid exhibition organised by three very talented young artists, that regretfully was only on show for just a few days and is now finished, however I understand that it was open one evening for the public to attend it.

Dr Charles Zuill is a renown artist from Bermuda. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions on island and overseas, and his artwork can be found in the permanent collection of the Bermuda National Gallery, of which he is a founding trustee.