The open evening and SALA exhibition of student art work celebrated our 25th year as Open Access College with the support of many current and past members of the OAC community.
The SALA exhibition included SACE student art work as well as entries in our postcard competition: Past, Present and Future.
Ben Brice won the prize for 3D works with a unique blown glass and wood assemblage, Nadia Hollows for her digital media entry of mountains, Aliyah Martin for her work on paper which feature pastels, and an abstract painting by Angus Lyons-Reid won the painting award.
The exhibition was well received and SALA will be held again next year with a view to having the exhibition open for a longer period on site.
Marg Beagley, inaugural principal of the College spoke about the vision that created the College in 1991 and some of the early difficulties in the early days, including many more students and teachers than originally planned for.
Current principal Julie Taylor brought us to the present day and the next 25 years. Today learning and teaching is synchronously on-line. Will the next phase be Fully digital, In the sky (Literally), able to be used without internet, taught by cyborg teachers and linked with a chip in our brains. This is Riley Duffield’s prediction for the future of OAC in 25 years.
The event included a time walk, starting with the Correspondence school days, where everything is on paper and posted, to HF (high frequency) Radio with SOTA and then teleconferences and early days of interactive on-line lessons.
Today to the future was showcased by our "maker space" and 3D printing with Ian McEgan and Dean Osborn and then to the world of Robotics by Flinders University.
Celebrating 25 years of Open Access College, our celebratory publication highlights the work of Open Access College through the eyes of our community past and present.
For your copy of the booklet contact the College at administration@openaccess.edu.au and check out the new promotional video at https://youtu.be/20lNAbpxbFY