Honours study sparks life-changing experience

Kerrie Mackay recently graduated from a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) at the Queensland College of Art (QCA), creating a series of sculptural memory boxes, with the aim of fostering empathy and awareness of intergenerational trauma. She describes her Honours year as “a life-changing experience”.

“With my Honours project, I really felt like I was making meaningful and engaging art. The courses provided by the highly qualified QCA staff, and the support provided by my Honours supervisor, Honours Program Coordinator and my fellow students, all combined to make this year highly valuable to the ongoing development of my art and art practice.”

“QCA is very supportive of both past and present students, and is full of wonderful mentors. The staff and students are like a large supportive family.”

Kerrie credits the QCA Honours program for altering how she thinks about her practice.

“Honours has completely changed how I think about the work I am creating and has provided me with so much confidence in my work and my writing skills.”

“QCA provided a studio for me to work in alongside other students, which had a lovely view of South Bank. I used the QCA workshop facilities, LiveImage printing facilities, and had access to various exhibition spaces for test installs and display of my work.”

Kerrie plans to continue her studies, with the goal of completing her Doctorate at QCA.

“My Honours year has given me the necessary academic research skills and the confidence to go forward with a higher level of study. I also want to start exhibiting more of my work, starting with two group exhibitions with other QCA students in the QCA Galleries next year.”

Under the supervision of experts in your field, studying Honours at QCA will help you to develop advanced levels of studio practice, theory and research; move into employment with significant expertise in your field or progress to further postgraduate study; enhance and grow your creative community and network within your area of expertise.

Applications to study Honours close 30 January 2019. Contact the Honours Program Director, Dr Lorraine Marshalsey for further information.

Images from Kerrie Mackay’s series ‘Within these walls, 1964 – 1980’. Image credit: Andrew Willis.