PARLIAMENT TO SHOWCASE WORK BY 180 OF SCOTLAND'S BEST YOUNG ARTISTS

22 September 2008

Paintings, sculpture and jewellery from 180 of Scotland’s most talented and creative art students will be showcased in an exhibition run by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) at Holyrood next month.

The free exhibition, which opens on Wednesday 15 October, will display artworks created for the 2008 Higher Art and Design examinations until 6 November.

The exhibition will feature the best of Higher Art and Design work from Scottish schools and colleges, and will include paintings, sculpture, design, ceramics, fashion and jewellery.

Speaking ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson said: "I am delighted to be welcoming the SQA exhibition for the first time to the Scottish Parliament. This exhibition provides a snapshot of Scotland’s young artistic talent and I would encourage the public to visit Holyrood to view the exhibition and support the students.

"The Parliament has also organised an exciting programme of educational visits for young people and teachers to run alongside the exhibition, and I hope schools will take the opportunity to visit and learn more about the Scottish Parliament."

Dr Janet Brown, chief executive of the SQA, commented: “The works of art that were finally selected are not being displayed simply because they were awarded top marks but because they show the quality, depth and the breathtaking imagination and creativity of Scotland’s young artists.

"Of course, we would like to have included many more but those on display show the quite exceptional levels of work being produced by students, with support from their teachers, the length and breadth of Scotland . We thank them all for their hard work over the past year.”

Running alongside the exhibition is the Parliament’s exciting programme of educational visits, where teachers and pupils can learn more about their Parliament. (See below for booking details.)

The exhibition is being displayed in the Main Hall. Designed to highlight some of the best examples of work from aspiring artists, the exhibition has been organised with teachers, students of art in schools and colleges, as well as the general public, in mind. To support the exhibition and ensure that teachers and students get maximum benefit from their visit, a fully illustrated catalogue will be available. A student catalogue is also available free of charge.

How to book
For full details of what is on offer, please visit: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/SQAExhibition.htm

To book a visit, please contact the Education Service. The telephone enquiry line is usually open between 09:00 and 16:00 , Monday to Friday on 0131 348 5401.

SQA Information
For further information on the SQA exhibition, please visit: www.sqa.org.uk/art2008

The Parliament's media contact is:
Isla Mair: 0131 348 6269
RNID TypeTalk calls welcome
Email: isla.mair@scottish.parliament.uk 

For public information enquiries, contact:
0131 348 5000; Textphone: 0131 558 7676, RNID Type talk calls welcome
Email: sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk

SQA’s media contact is :
Katie Christie: 0845 213 5195/Katie.Christie@sqa.org.uk 

• Sponsors who have helped make the exhibition possible include the Scottish Government, the Educational Institute of Scotland and Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
• SQA (www.sqa.org.uk) is the national body in Scotland responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment and certification of qualifications other than degrees.
• The overall aim of the SQA is to manage the qualifications system below degree level to allow students to fulfill their potential to participate in the economy, society and communities of Scotland.
• There are approximately 1470 centres approved to offer our range of qualifications.

You can now get in touch with the Parliament by text message. Our interactive service enables you to get the name of your MSP by sending your postcode, lets you ask questions about the Parliament and its work, and enables you to request a selection of free leaflets. The number to take advantage of is 07786 209888. Texts are charged at standard network rates. More details can be found on our Text Service page.