Banting's Powling makes right MOVE to win arts competition

Posted January 24, 2013

For the second time in the eight year run of qualifying submissions to the final rounds of province-wide Student Achievement Awards, a Banting Memorial High School entry has won the the top prize in its category.

Hayley Powling, 17, learned yesterday that her mixed media painting, MOVE, won the $1,000 prize in Category B-2: Visual Arts, Senior, 11-12.

The Student Achievement Awards, which include writing and creative arts competitions, is sponsored by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, established in 1984 and named in honour of Marion Drysdale, who was a secretary at OSSTF/FEESO Provincial Office for 22 years. This year's theme was, "(Dis)Obedience: Stand By/Stand Up."

"As you can imagine, we are thrilled for Hayley (and for our Department - as this is the second time that a Banting Visual Arts student has taken the top provincial prize," said Rachel Evans, Hayley's Gr. 12 visual arts teacher, and chair of the school's art department.

In her Artist Statement, Hayley explained that MOVE was inspired by a 49-year-old murder, and "created to inspire the viewer to stand up in situations where the option to stand by and do nothing is available, and tempting."

"The painting depicts 28-year-old Kitty Genovese, murdered in New York, 1964. The story of her death is so tragic because an estimated 38 people saw, or heard her being raped and stabbed to death. Nobody moved. After her death, research was done to figure out why nobody reported the attack when so many people witnessed it. The results formed what is now known as the 'Bystander' or 'Kitty Genovese' effect. When there are many people present, one tends to diffuse the responsibility of standing up to others. If everyone diffuses responsibility, nobody moves."

Hayley and her family will be guests of the OSSTF's Annual General Meeting in Toronto on March 9, where she will join the seven other winners to receive their $1,000 prize, and have their work showcased during the event.

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