On Monday 29 April, during a special school assembly, we were delighted to welcome Dr Janice Johnson into school to present the winner of this year’s Art History prize to Remove Former Oliver Quince for his contribution and commitment to the course.
Dr Janice Johnson, who is one of our adult Art History students, introduced this prize in recognition of her enjoyment of the class and her belief in Art History as an important academic subject in its own right.
The prize is awarded by Miss Bacon, our Art History teacher, to the school student with the most enthusiasm and aptitude who has consistently contributed significantly to classroom discussions.
Oliver commented, “So far, Art History has helped me the most in Art, especially the analysis side of things where I have achieved two A* on my two written pieces, which have been heavily influenced by me attending art history classes and the knowledge obtained there. It also helps in other subjects where analysis occurs, while also giving me a greater understanding of art and paintings especially when visiting galleries which I do regularly. I enjoy the discussions we have in the course and the in-depth analysis of each object. For me, the prize is a very big achievement and is a true honour to receive, especially from Dr Janice in person!”
Art History was introduced at Bedford School as an after-school class in September 2016, primarily as an additional activity to benefit the Sixth Form artists. It has been wonderful to see that pupils who are not artists, but who are interested in the history of art, are now also regularly attending the class, including boys from the Fourth Form. In the last few years, a number of Sixth Formers have gone on to read Art History as a degree inspired by this course.
The class takes place in the Art School on Mondays from 4.30pm to 6.00pm and is followed by a later adult class from 7.00pm to 8.45pm. Everyone is welcome.