Grace is one of a handful of graduates from the school who has chosen to further pursue her passion for the arts from secondary school and is now studying fine arts, majoring in painting.
“Since leaving school I’ve become a portrait artist,” she said.
“I have my own website now and am doing commissions for portraits.”
Grace’s portrait of her 90-year-old grandfather, and the hand on her grandmother with a flower — both from Rochester — were among 20 pieces she had on display at Ali Farrell’s gallery.
“Anyone interested in having a look at my work can go to gracemurphyart.com,” she said.
Grace was one of many students to benefit from the work of MAGS visual arts teacher Grace Moon, who was beaming at the launch.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work with these amazing students for many years,” Ms Moon said.
“We are going to do this every year, we are already booked in for next year.”
Ms Moon said the exhibition was a great opportunity to catch up with former students, the exhibition including works from current HSC students, former HSC students, alumni and teachers of the school.
“Hopefully people can come in during the exhibition, maybe even buy something,” she said.
“We have sold a couple already before this evening.”
Ms Moon has taught every HSC class, apart from some time off, since 2009.
She said apart from the success of Grace, the exhibition features works by Anna Walsh, who is now a designer for fashion label Princess Highway.
There are 94 drawings, paintings, photography, pottery, origami and other works in the three rooms of the Customs House Gallery on display.
Ms Moon joked she had decided to focus on frogs for her contribution to the exhibition.
“During their visual arts studies the students have had to paint, draw and sculpt frogs,” she said.
“I told them to steer well clear of frogs as their theme for the exhibition.”
Amber Devereaux’s body of work from 2020 caught the eye, a series of pieces focusing on the fires that dominated the headlines.
“They are aerial views of the fire, the land, the remains and the re-growth. They are acrylic-pour paintings,” Ms Moon said.
Tilly Keenan, who was a MAGS graduate five years ago and is now a teacher at St Joseph’s in Echuca, also had some pieces featured prominently in the exhibition.
“She is now an art and maths teacher at St Joseph’s, which is a very unique combination,” Ms Moon said.
Matilda Bradley, who graduated in 2014, is now a radiographer at Bendigo.
She drew some of her exhibited work while still at school and has continued her interest in drawing.
She had nine sketches, mostly on paper and a couple of fabric in the show.
Gretl Schiller, a long-time art teacher in Echuca and Moama, was another to hang her work in the gallery to celebrate 17 years in the arts and teaching role.
