Museums around the world have been forced to temporarily close their doors and art exhibitions were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet San Anton School didn’t let the virus stop it from hosting the annual Grade 12 Art Exhibition.

In a first for the school, teacher of art Denise Papagiorcopulo created a virtual art exhibition to display the art students’ work and talent. The exhibition was launched as a surprise to the students during their socially-distanced, school-leaving ceremony.

“Year after year I continue to be amazed by the art students’ talent and artistic ability which led me to persevere to find a solution to showcase their work virtually. With a bit of trial and error the works were uploaded onto the virtual walls and I am pleased with the end result. Furthermore, this project brings the students’ work to a wider audience, where visitors across the globe can navigate the exhibition in their own time and in the comfort of their own homes,” Papagiorcopulo said.

This year’s exhibition showcases the works of Noah Sammut, Nina Vassallo, Yazmin Zammit, Vanessa Debono, Bettina Falzon and Mattea Gabaretta, which were produced over a period of two years as part of their art portfolios.

The selected pieces highlight their skill in mastering various mediums, while exploring the different genres of work such as still lifes, landscapes, portraiture, the human figure, modern art, digital art, sculpture, collage and etching.

“Ms Denise has taken a marvellous initiative in setting up this virtual exhibition of students’ work. It shows yet again that when educators are faced with challenges, such as working around the COVID-19 school lockdown, they can come up with creative solutions that actually enhance the learning experience,” San Anton’s Head of School, Sandro Spiteri, said.

The exhibition can viewed online at www.artsteps.com/view/5ef12eb41b6b9919dbf246bf.