Kerrie Anderson

The Southport School

There is no doubt that art teacher Kerrie Anderson is an innovator in her field.
 
Drawing on 25 years of experience as an educator both in Australia and abroad in the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, Kerrie has shown an ongoing commitment to linking the classroom with the real world to open her students’ minds to the world of art.
 
As the Preparatory School Visual Art coordinator, Kerrie has implemented a thriving Artists in Residence program at The Southport School, arranging for an Indigenous elder artist, a photorealist artist, a graffiti artist, a silk screen artist, and a nationally acclaimed printmaker to take up residency at the school and expose students to a wide range of expert arts practices and practitioners. 

The Southport School deputy principal Mark Wyer describes Kerrie as showing “a commitment to ensuring each individual child feels safe, worthwhile, and inspired in and out of the classroom.”
 
Kerrie has also worked to develop an impressive portfolio of affiliations between the school and the broader arts community, allowing her students to access galleries, museums, and community art organisations across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Sydney.
 
These affiliations have included art organisations such as QAGOMA, the Gold Coast Art Gallery, Gallery of NSW, the Queensland Art Teachers Association, the Primary Arts Network, and even a placement program at Borroloola in the Northern Territory that trains teenagers in the curatorship of art exhibitions.

Kerrie’s excellence does not stop with her innovative approach to teaching art. Kerrie has also shown a commitment to caring for the individual needs and wellbeing of her students, both in and out of the classroom.
 
With extensive qualifications in guidance, counselling, and Indigenous education, Kerrie regularly liaises with students, parents, and school counselling professionals to ensure any signs of emotional or educational difficulties are addressed at an early stage.
 
Congratulations Kerrie on your nomination.
 
By Claudia Farhart.