National Art School (NAS) graduate, Bella La Spina, tells ArtsHub that she was doing a media degree elsewhere when she fell upon NAS by chance. She went along to the annual Open Day, before making the commitment to change her pathway.
‘I just wasn’t loving my degree. And then I met a friend who went to NAS, and the way she was talking about it, I thought, “Oh, maybe I’ll just apply”.’
She says that the Open Day really helped cement her choice. ‘I remember thinking, “Wow, this campus is amazing. This is where I need to be”,’ she adds.
La Spina, a printmaker working in an expanded way, says she was strolling through the painting studios on Open Day when she saw ‘a bunch of students that already were studying at NAS, and just the way that they were interacting, and I thought, “Wow, not many other universities have that sort of environment and facilities. I could be friends with all of these people!” It’s what convinced me to go to NAS.’
The NAS Open Day 2024 will be held this weekend, Saturday 7 September, and applications are currently open for the 2025 academic year.
With the slogan ‘Create your future’, NAS is focused on the individual.
Mixing it up at NAS
And, the twist? La Spina discovered that her grandfather studied at NAS seven years before her. That alumni, and sense of legacy that comes with graduating from NAS is a strong part of the professional bond that is created.
She describes studying at NAS as being ‘almost like a family’. She says, ‘We’ve got people fresh out of high school, people wanting a career change and even retirees. It’s a really supportive environment for everyone.
‘I’m still friends with people I met in my first class,’ she adds.
La Spina says the cross-medium, cross-generation foundation of NAS throws up deeper learning, deeper thinking. ‘Being in an institution, sometimes it can start to become a bit of an echo chamber. But when there are people from all walks of life, different ages, it really helps to bring a diversity to the site,’ she continues. ‘And the studio-based learning really helps to nurture your unique style.’
Nurturing professional pathways
Any art student hopes to step away from their studies with a green light to move their career forward, but often they can feel stuck on amber, waiting.
NAS builds into their studies of professional learning pathways to arm students to best make the transition from study to professional practice – whatever form that may take.
One way is the momentum built by the annual grad shows. La Spina tells ArtsHub: ‘You go through your Master’s hearing about what could happen once you leave school. But here, they get a whole bunch of people from the arts sectors – public galleries, commercial galleries, ARIs (artist-run initiatives) curators – to come and talk to us, so that we get a really good understanding of, not just what they do, but also potentially as something that we go into.’
That learning armed La Spina well. ‘The postgrad show was extremely successful for me. I got approached by Dominik Mersch Gallery, and the majority of my works sold. I kind of knew what was involved in that process, because of that learning. But it was quite overwhelming. La Spina’s first exhibition with the gallery opens this month.
And, her advice on selecting the right art school?
‘Make the most of it, because I really miss it now,’ she says. ‘I wish that I had stayed back for those extra classes and took extra electives, because it really is a unique place. And once it’s gone, you miss it.
‘I would definitely recommend coming to the Open Day and having a look. It’s just a really fun day, and there’s a whole bunch of workshops and things to see. It will totally open your mind!’
Need to know
NAS Open Day 2024 will be held on Saturday 7 September, 10am – 4pm.
The Open Day is not just for prospective students, but for parents, arts teachers, career advisers and people already invested in the arts sector.
Applications close for the School Recommendation scheme round 2pm on Monday 16 September. The main admission round applications close 7 November for the 2025 academic year.
To book your free ticket to attend NAS Open Day 2024.
The National Art School offers three degrees: Bachelor of Fine Art, Master of Fine Art and Doctor of Fine Art.
NAS is located at 156 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst (Sydney).
