In the art studio of Ellen Valenton at the suburb of North St. Mary's in western Sydney, students and art teachers wore proud faces as their artworks were presented to their close friends and family members.
This was an art exhibition that recognized the masterpieces and efforts of Ellen Valenton's students for the year that passed. Beyond that, it exposed a diverse community (who shares the love for arts) that through the years went to its ups and downs but chose the right path to keep it going and to make their relationship even stronger.
As Kerrie Everitt, winner of the People's Choice Award this year, says "it’s a big support group, you know sometimes we might not paint, we might just sit and talk, we still pay money for the class, we sit and talk because sometimes people need it and that’s what art is all about, it’s like a therapy beyond painting.”
The Christmas event held at Ellenvale Cottage kicked off with a welcome note from the founder, Ellen Valenton. Everyone who attended (even the students and teachers themselves) voted for their most favourite painting from the different categories in the exhibition.
Before the winners were announced, there were parlour games prepared for the children and teenagers. All those who participated had smiles on their faces and did enjoy the paper dance (one of the most popular Christmas party games in the Philippines).
Ellen Valenton also gave recognition to her students who have been with her for the last fifteen years and to the current teachers in the art studio. She also put the spotlight on those who have served Ellenvale Cottage (often unacknowledged because of the less visibility of their work) including Louis, their official carpenter and Ken Forway, who have been with them year after year to assist in the counting of votes during Christmas parties.
As the votes were tallied, the winners were announced! Below is the list of the major winners and the categories in the exhibition;
Children’s section (6-8 years old) – Manha Rasheed
Children’s section (9-12 years old) – Harini Pancholi
Beginner’s section – Daniela Jhuric
Intermediate section – Greg Merriman
Decorative flowers section – Vicki Renehan
Decorative others section A (birds and animals) – Val Rundle
Decorative others section B (teddy bears, cartoons and fairies) – Cassandra Carey
Portraits – Cassandra Carey
Australiana – Barbara Hutchins
Landscape/Seascape – Gill Balfour
Artist of the year award – Janelle Sullivan
Young artist of the year award – Cassandra Carey
People’s choice award – Kerrie Everitt
I realized that one of the most profound achievements of Ellen Valenton’s community is the growing number of young people who are joining them and are passionate learners of ‘arts.’ Adjacent to that are the elders who continue honing their skills and sharing their expertise to the younger generation. This creates a healthy community where legacies (in the context of arts) are passed in a collaborative and meaningful way.
In this interview, Ellen Valenton expresses her delight to this accomplishment, “this is another blessing that I got, it just happened really, we started with three or four students for the children’s classes and after that it just grew.” She adds that this success is attributable to ‘word of mouth’ and stresses the importance of the younger generation in keeping the ‘arts’ alive. When asked what will be her next plan? Nothing is set in stone as of now, but her prospect is to go online.
As I joined Ellen Valenton’s community that afternoon, I experienced a group coming from different social locations (culture, age, gender etc.) but were ‘inclusive’ of one another, a group that established a strong attachment to Ellenvale Cottage and turned it as their second home, a group that respects each other’s talents and were humbled by it and a group that recognizes everyone’s hard work and effort towards the betterment of their community and for the sake of ‘arts.’ Indeed, this community reflects the values and the meaning of the Christmas season.
“I would like to thank the Lord for keeping me up with my work and guiding me always with what I do. I always ask for His guidance. I will always tell myself that I dedicate all my work to Him; without His wonderful creation, I don’t think I’ll be here. I am always inspired with His creations and I am happy to share it and glorify it to His name,” says Ellen Valenton before the event wrapped up and we parted ways.
