Visual Arts Faculty
From the Co-ordinator of Visual Arts
Ms Larissa Wenman
Ms Larissa Wenman
The New Kiln
The new kiln has been installed and is already hard at work. Mrs Kemp has completed several successful test firings in both bisque and glaze modes, and the results have been fantastic. We’ve also added a range of new underglazes to our supplies, and we’re excited to use them on the Year 7 clay busts very soon. Next term, the Year 9 fantasy totems will also be ready for firing, so the kiln is set for a very busy schedule.
As you can see from the images, our shelves are overflowing with student creations eagerly awaiting their turn in the kiln. We extend a huge thank you to the PHPA for generously funding this purchase we are incredibly grateful. Thank you also to our Business Manager, Mrs Ironside for initiating the process, to the Campus Help team for coordinating with the supplier and managing the installation (a task that took many hours), and to Mrs Kemp for her outstanding work in testing and preparing clay samples to ensure our students’ pieces are finished to the highest standard.
Art Competitions
Operation Art
Gabby and Florence (C10), have been hard at work creating their entries for Operation Art. For more than 30 years, Operation Art has provided thousands of students with the opportunity to exhibit their artwork while contributing to a deeply meaningful cause. Each year, the exhibitions attract over 10,000 visitors.
All artworks are designed to be uplifting and suitable for display in a hospital environment. The program has a dual mission: Celebrate young artists by showcasing their work in professional gallery spaces and create a healing environment for children in hospital.
Every year, a special selection of artworks known as the Hospital 50 is gifted to the The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. These pieces help brighten hospital spaces and support the wellbeing of patients and their families.
We are delighted that Gabby and Florence agreed to contribute their talents to such a meaningful initiative, and we look forward to hearing about their artworks journey very soon.
Competitions to Enter Over the Break
If students are looking for something fun, creative, and meaningful to dive into over the holidays, there are plenty of exciting competitions to get involved in. The break is the perfect chance to let your imagination run wild, try something new, and challenge yourself. Many of these competitions can even be tackled with friends if you enjoy working collaboratively.
RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition
To honour the legacy of ANZAC and encourage students to reflect on Australia’s military history, the RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition began in 2023.
Students from Primary and Secondary schools across NSW are invited to create an original artwork inspired by The Power of Mateship. All entries must be submitted by the school, no submissions by the students or student's parent or carer will be accepted. Please speak to Ms Wenman before starting your artwork as the school is restricted on how many works can be submitted.
Entries are now open and close 30 October 2026.
Click on the following link to register: RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Art Competition 2027 | RSL NSW RSL NSW
Beaches Young Film Makers Competition
If you are aged 12–24 and passionate about storytelling or filmmaking, this competition is your chance to shine. With over $3,000 in prizes plus industry awards, young creators can make a short film and see it screened at HOYTS Warringah Mall.
Teams or solo filmmakers have 4 days to create a film up to 7 minutes, using secret challenge elements revealed on Wednesday 12 August at 4pm. A judging panel selects standout films for the Finals and Awards Night.
Whether you love directing, acting, writing or just want to try something new, everyone’s welcome.
- Secret rules released and submissions open: Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 4pm
- Submissions close: Sunday 16 August 2026 at 9pm
- Finals and Awards Night: Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 7pm
Click the following link to register your team: Beaches Young Filmmakers Comp | Northern Beaches Council
Staedtler Drawing Competition – Calling keen drawers Junior and Senior School
Opening soon for 2026, keen drawers might like to start an artwork over the holidays. See the link above for details and examples of past student work.
Year 10 Visual Arts students are especially encouraged to enter their beautiful coloured‑pencil animal drawings from earlier this year and Year 11 Visual Arts students, portrait drawings too.
Please click on the link below for more information (Note: website may initially be unavailable. Please keep trying).
Transurban Art Competition
Transurban is an Australian-owned company that builds and operates toll roads across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, as well as in Greater Washington in the United States and Montreal in Canada. Our purpose is simple yet ambitious: to be the link between people, place and progress.
They run a Public Art Program, Canal to Creek, which features 21 landmark artworks that have transformed parklands along the WestConnex corridor. This legacy initiative brings together contemporary sculptures, artist‑designed playgrounds, large‑scale murals and an immersive lighting installation creating vibrant public spaces that connect communities.
Inspired by this program, they have hosted an annual art competition for high school students over the past several years. Previously focused on the WestConnex artworks, the competition is expanding in 2024 to include all Transurban assets across Greater Sydney.
This gives students from across NSW a unique opportunity to create their own artwork inspired by the theme “the link between people, place and progress.” The competition celebrates creativity while highlighting Transurban’s commitment to strengthening and connecting communities through transport.
Click on the following link for more information: About Transurban | Transurban
Wild At Art
This competition is for Primary School Children (Ages 5-12) - Opens 22nd June and Closes 10th August
Wild At Art | Australian Conservation Foundation
Children from across the country are invited to create an original artwork of one of Australia's many threatened native animals or plants, along with a short-written component on their chosen threatened species. Click on the link above to register then choose your species, create your masterpiece, tell its story and enter the competition.
There are always lots of competitions to enter, students are encouraged to have a go and if unsure always ask your art teacher, we are here to support you always.