The Burrowes School of Arts on Friday hosted its 34th graduation ceremony and art exhibition at the Umana Yana, Kingston in Georgetown. The ceremony saw a total of 33 students graduating.
Four students graduated with diplomas in graphics and textile design, while another four graduated with certificates in textile design, leathercraft, and graphics.
Additionally, 10 students also received beginners certificates and 15 graduated from the art programme.
Delivering the feature address at the graduation, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony congratulated the students on the hard work they have put in, while encouraging them to put their talents to great use.
“We hope that by graduating out of this institution, it will be putting them on a career where they can go out and make beautiful masterpieces and become masters in their own right in the area of art,” the minister said.
He also commended the teachers for the work they have put into developing the skills of the students.
He noted that the school has been contributing to the development of art in Guyana and the Caribbean by extension.
“The school itself has to undergo changes, because, as an institution, we cannot be static – we have to be dynamic, we have to take into consideration the contribution of the school towards society,” he said.
The minister said his ministry always looks for ways in which it can develop art in Guyana and has even endeavoured to establish schools that cater for those different art forms.
Anthony noted that creative and artistic people are taken for granted in Guyana, so the ministry is looking at establishing courses that will allow them to obtain degree certificates so that they can be respected as professionals.
The culture minister continued that the ministry is using events such as Carifesta and the Inter-Guianas Festival as venues for exposing artistic talents.
He pointed out that there was much optimism in the art sector; hence much needs to be done to keep it growing. He ended by telling the graduating students that big things are expected from them.
Meanwhile, the External Examiner’s Report was done by Trinidadian Makemba Kunle, who said that he was very much impressed with the work of the students.
He commended the drawings, ceramics and fabric designs; however, he noted that computer graphics was the art form that took centre stage.
He recommended that the school also implement modelling and sculpture as part of the curriculum, while urging the students to use their skills to create beautiful art pieces.
