About Art Club
Art Club Northcote’s art classes for children (aged 6-12 years) and young people (aged 12-18 years) are both fun and challenging. It is run by artist and mother of two sons, Sue Davis from a purpose built studio in the new Nightingale Building at at 11 Railway Place West, Preston.
At Art Club, we balance skills development with nurturing self-expression. Each week we explore the work and ideas of an artist and use this as inspiration to experiment with materials and techniques. These projects are adapted to the specific age groups from 6yrs to 18yrs as well as responding to the kids’ own interests and current exhibitions in Melbourne.
As well as our usual projects, each year we always do a textile project and a clay project, and also celebrate Halloween/Day of the Dead by creating fake wounds from latex and by making sugar skulls. At the end of each year, all the classes spend the last 5 weeks collaborating on a large installation, as seen in the images on the right, which culminates in an exhibition opening /end-of-year party where families and friends are invited to come along to view the extravaganza.
About Sue
I have over 30 years of experience running art projects with children, young people, and communities in the UK, Europe & Australia. I have worked with Darebin, Yarra, Manningham, Moreland & Melbourne Councils on a variety of creative projects as well as working for Womad for over 10 years in London, Sicily, Prague, and Adelaide and doing regular projects for the City of Melbourne’s Children’s Art Centre, ArtPlay since it opened 20 years ago. And when I have time I draw and make sculptures.
I originally studied Graphic Design in Melbourne and then Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art, London, and have always worked in various areas of the Arts, from theatre design to costume making, scenic painting, and prop making for theatre, TV, and theme parks, to festival arts and community arts.
I started running Art Club in 2010 for my sons and their friends and it has grown now to eight after-school classes per week. I feel extremely lucky as I love running the Art Club and working with children and young people, nurturing their creativity, courage, curiosity, and enthusiasm.
