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The first exhibition of student work at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū represents an opportunity for pupils of 20 Canterbury schools not only to showcase their work, but to also enter the world of the professional artist.

The exhibition, opening on Friday 10 October, is a biennial event – part of a series that has involved both primary and secondary schools for over a decade. It features 32 individual works from Year 9–12 students, selected by two Gallery representatives and two members of the Canterbury Art Teachers Association. Schools in the Canterbury area were invited to provide up to four works each for the exhibition selection, resulting in over 70 submissions.

Christchurch Art Gallery Education Officer Judith Hoult says Seen highlights the creativity and the diversity of the region's young artists.

'The exhibition is testament to the increasing emphasis on excellence in the arts in New Zealand schools,' says Judith Hoult.

'The works for Seen express the visions and reflections of Canterbury youth, responding to local landforms, history, institutions and ways of life – or more subjective values like their hopes and aspirations.'

Works selected for the exhibition use a variety of media, from painting and printmaking, to digital media and film.

Mrs Hoult says one of the key aspects of the exhibition is the Gallery's focus on presenting and handling the work in the same way as that of the professional artist.

'We are acknowledging that the students are the beginning of the story. Through our approach, we are reinforcing that we know the students are our future and we value their skills and their understanding,' says Judith Hoult.

During the development of the exhibition, each submitted work was registered and a conservation assessment was made, before those selected for the exhibition were framed. The Gallery has also refitted the exhibition space as part of the curatorial design developed specifically for Seen.

Selecting works that represented submissions from each high school year was also an important part of the exhibition's development, according to Judith Hoult.

'By choosing a range of works from Year 9–12, we ensured that the exhibition presents a cross-section of the students' work, development and perspectives, while also giving a wider age-group the opportunity to participate.'

'And we were rewarded by the response of the students, with some of the most innovative use of media coming from the youngest students - such as St Andrew's College's collaborative performance, From Water to Water, on video and Powerpoint, or Marian College's pop art inspired Principal Devonport.'

Gallery Director of Public Programmes Hubert Klaassens says the exhibition is part of the Gallery's ongoing programme designed to support young artists and involve the wider community.

'Seen is the latest exhibition in an extremely popular student series, which has always attracted a large number of visitors,' says Hubert Klaassens.

'Focused on the students' own time and place, Seen provides audiences with a glimpse of the world through young eyes.'