Shelley, who headed up Dio’s Visual Arts Department for the past 42 years, has farewelled the school “because it’s time”, she says. “And it’s always better to call time when things are going well.”
The revered creator, examiner and assessor who started her teaching career in 1971 at a South Auckland school, says she doesn’t have any set plans for retirement, but she and her husband Andrew have family all over the world and would like to travel.
She’s also determined to give some focus to her own personal art practice, an area of her life which has been somewhat neglected over the course of the past four decades, given her packed schedule of teaching, advising, assessing and guiding.
How students work and how they learn
Shelley has been heavily involved in assessments, examination criteria and curriculum development since she first started marking School Certificate Art portfolios in the mid-1980s, and she wants to stay involved – albeit from a distance.
“It helps keep me current and honest,” she says.
“I’m keen to stay in touch with what’s happening in education, both here and internationally. It matters too much to me just to let go.”
Shelley says although there’s been a huge shift in the delivery of art education over the past 40 years, learning to think creatively is what still defines students.
“Back in the 1970’s, the role or place of art and craft varied according to a school’s policy,” she says.
“Core art programmes were designed to give a range of experiences in the making of art and craft objects and the primary objectives were activity based and product orientated, but many were limited by the materials and equipment available. Clay ashtrays and paper mâché masks were the standard.
“In my experience, core art used to be very activity and skills based. Students were kept occupied, and the practice of streaming classes often meant the less able classes in particular were timetabled to do more art and craft than the academic stream. There was not a lot of encouragement to specialise beyond the core art programme.”
By the mid 1980’s, many schools had introduced art as an option at Year 10, and core art was limited to Year 9 with classes being taught basic principles such as tone, form, line, shade, colour theory, composition, scale and perspective to begin with. More sophisticated drawing and painting skills came later, says Shelley.
By 1990, Shelley says ‘somewhat clumsy” criteria had been developed for assessment, including perception, skill, creativity, technique and understanding, which were to act as the frontrunner for the practice of using evaluation as an educational tool.
“The other key influence for me at that time was the emphasis on Māori art as part of an art education in New Zealand. We became more aware of Māori art and began to slowly introduce aspects into courses of study for each year level.”
Shelley says that the introduction of the curriculum framework in the 1990s had a substantial influence on visual arts education, particularly in its emphasis on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the development of a multicultural approach to education.
“The curriculum encouraged us to celebrate our cultural diversity, and this is becoming more evident in the artwork produced by our students,” says Shelley.
A roll call of some of our finest makers and creators
“What I’ll miss most are the conversations with students – I call them ‘Dio-logues’ where we discuss and exchange ideas,” says Shelley.
“That’s been my highlight of teaching – seeing the creative outputs of our young students, how they’re doing it and why.”
Shelley has taught a roll call of some of the country’s leading artists, and many have returned to Dio to teach alongside her.
Multimedia award-winning artist Katie Blundell went on to do a Master of Fine Art at Elam when she left school in the late 1990s. She majored in printmaking and currently produces works from her gallery and studio in Clevedon.
“Shelley has been an important influence in my life,” Katie says. “She taught me at Dio when I was a bewildered country kid who just really loved art. She was kind and supportive, encouraging my passion for her subject, eventually helping me apply to Elam Art School where I studied Printmaking – her joy for the medium had clearly rubbed off on me.
“Later, when I became an art teacher, she of course was an inspiration. I knew I could learn more from her, so I went and worked for her. I’m very grateful for all the energy she has put into me over the years. She has always stretched and challenged me. We’re not similar, in fact, I think it’s because we’re so different that I have learnt more from her than most who have tried to teach me.”
Another former student of Shelley’s, costume designer Chantelle Gerrard, studied Performance Voice and Spatial Design before training as a teacher. For 25 years she worked in costume, designing over 120 productions in NZ and internationally, including Game of Thrones and the Pop-up Globe Theatre in London.
“I always chose art over music in my options, as the passion for art that Shelley fostered in me was overwhelming and boundless. Her teaching, humour and eye for detail was unmatchable.
“The facilities and resources she provided, the guidance and knowledge, and the fact that she was able to see something in each of us that was unique and not just getting us to ‘follow her style’ was truly brilliant for a young art student.”
Auckland-based portrait photographer Luci Harrison attributes much of her success to the guidance and inspiration she received from Shelley, particularly the unwavering support she gave her through academic challenges stemming from dyslexia.
“Shelley’s belief in my talent has extended beyond mere mentorship,” she says. “She has become a cherished friend and confidante.”
Reinvention the secret to success
So, what’s Shelley’s secret to longevity as an art educator?
“Constant thinking and reinvention,” she says. “We’re not here to train our students to be artists; we’re here to train them to ask questions, think, express themselves, be creative and explore that side of themselves.
“The standard of art education in this country is one of the highest in the world in terms of structure and results. That’s based on the understanding that we can teach everybody – and I’m really proud of that.
“Every year when you meet a new bunch of students in art, you’re reinventing yourself,” says Shelley.
“Every year is different, and every student is different. I’ll really miss that.”
Shelley has been a very precious taonga at Diocesan over many years – we all wish her well as she leaves us to enjoy some travel and more time with her family.
He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata – it is a precious gift to have someone who has given so much goodwill to others.
Thank you Shelley – Kia kaha, kia maia kia manawanui.