Wodonga TAFE Visual Arts students and their first exhibit: A journey about existing and seeing the beauty in small things

Monday, 2 June 2025

An artist dreams about their first exhibit – the thrill of the preparation, numerous applications, days of putting in the work, and finally unveiling their masterpieces. That was the roller coaster ride that Spike and Summer, Visual Arts students from Wodonga TAFE, had to go through to get their beautiful pieces up on light boxes over at Albury.

Available to the public now, the  Laneway Lightbox Open-Air Gallery, will feature both Spike and Summer’s work for up to six months. The well-known laneway - AMP Lane, in downtown Albury is a public art initiative featuring paintings and artworks from various artists.  The goal of the open-air gallery is to act as an avenue to open up conversations and promote social change. Everyone is encouraged to visit and view the works from Wodonga TAFE’s very own visual arts students, Spike and Summer.

Spike and their paintings

 

Summer and her artworks

 

The beauty of rust & decay

Spike is a current Certificate III in Visual Arts (CUA31120) student at Wodonga TAFE. They were keen on exhibiting so their teacher, Marni, forwarded opportunities and helped them through the application process. To help them stand out, they decided to finish 1 painting first to show off what their series would be all about.

Their main inspiration is old, rusty, decrepit buildings in the regional area. They feel that there is huge importance in documenting the existence of such buildings. These have been overlooked but they once thrived, existed. And Spike wishes to immortalise them in a way through their paintings. It also heavily connects with them as most of these buildings are farming-related, and Spike comes from a family of farmers.

One of Spike’s Concept Art. Photo by Nash “Spike” Holden.

Spike wishes for people to appreciate the history of the area, the asymmetry, age, and wear and tear of it all, as these buildings tell a mighty story. Agriculture is a part of Albury and Wodonga’s history and it must not be left undocumented.

Spike wishes to continue their studies into a Certificate IV in Visual Arts and then eventually become a High School Art Teacher. In the meantime, they are busy making a name for themselves, applying to more exhibits, working on bigger projects, and networking. Catch them next in an exhibit over at Brunswick near Melbourne soon!

Follow Spike over at Instagram.

 

The beauty of fallen leaves

Much like Spike, Summer is also studying Certificate III in Visual Arts (CUA31120). She already has an affinity towards art but fell in love with it more through her time with Wodonga TAFE. She particularly liked the printing class with Doug, which became her jump-off point for her artworks in the Laneway exhibit.

Summer’s materials for her artworks. Photo by Summer Le.

Using techniques learned in class and merging it with her love for nature, she came up with wonderful artworks using native leaf imprints. She wishes that through her artworks, people would be inspired to do art as it can be accessible to everyone using simple materials.

The idea behind her exhibit is she wanted people to appreciate the small things, those that might be overlooked from time to time – like fallen leaves. She wanted to keep them alive through her work and that something beautiful can come out of them.

During her time with Wodonga TAFE, it opened her mind to the many different possibilities in the arts. The hands-on education helped her push herself to try more and be inspired from her fellow artists. She wishes to make a living out of art but is still on a journey to truly discover who she is as an artist. As of the moment, she is inspired by nature and landscapes and will continue to be so in the near future.

Follow Summer over at Instagram.

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Whether you’re a budding artist or just someone wanting to refresh their knowledge on the basics, Wodonga TAFE offers a number of creative industries courses that will suit your needs. Mid-year applications are now open, and just like Spike and Summer, you might just have the chance to showcase the story of things we never put appreciation into. Make sure to check out their paintings and artworks over at the Laneway Lightbox Open-Air Gallery.