Visual Arts & Technologies

2026 Visual Arts Acquisition Award 

Article by Oksana Rubacha, Senior School  Visual Arts

Each year, the Visual Arts Acquisition Award recognises an exceptional piece of student work from Art or Visual Communication Design, celebrating artistic excellence, creativity and dedication to the creative process. The selected work is acquired by the College and becomes part of the Overnewton Permanent Collection, preserving and celebrating the artistic achievements of our students for years to come.

Selection for this award considers technical skill, creativity and the successful resolution of an artistic concept, demonstrating a sustained commitment to its development, refinement and subject. Importantly, the Acquisition Award is not limited to traditional art forms or mediums. While acrylic paintings on canvas have featured in the collection, previous acquisitions have also included artworks created using timber tiles, 3D printed architectural models, choreographed dance performances, and now a board game design, as demonstrated by this year's award winning work. This diversity reflects the evolving nature of contemporary art and design, recognising that creativity can take many forms!

This year's 2026 Visual Arts Acquisition Award was presented to William Acuri, an accelerated Year 11 Visual Communication Design student, for his outstanding board game design developed as part of his Unit 4 studies. William's ambitious project demonstrated exceptional attention to detail, technical refinement and creativity. From his intricately designed characters and cohesive visual identity to the development of game components and supporting graphics, his work showcased a sophisticated understanding of visual communication and a remarkable commitment to the design process.

Congratulations to William on this well deserved achievement. His work is a wonderful addition to the College's permanent collection and a testament to the creativity, dedication and talent of our young artists and designers.