VISUAL ARTS
JUNIOR ART SHOW 2025
On Monday 1 December, the McKinnon Visual Arts Community proudly celebrated the incredible work of our Junior Artists at our annual award ceremony and gallery opening.
The afternoon began with a touching Welcome to Country from Uncle Mark Brown. This year, Uncle Mark has served as an Artist in Residency, mentoring our Year 8s through the annual Kummargee Design Competition.
Uncle Mark had the pleasure of awarding Iliana Gabriel (Year 8) as the overall winner for her fantastic design.
He also presented the highly regarded Artist Choice Award to Kira Barnes (Year 9) for her captivating acrylic self-portrait.
The awards portion concluded with Principal Mr Michael Kan presenting the prestigious Acquisition Awards to Willow Truong (Year 7) for her stunning coastal landscape and to Milla Francis (Year 9) for her Paris inspired design.
Congratulations to all our major award winners!
The celebration then continued with a vibrant gallery walk through the bottom floor of the East Campus building. Guests were able to view an expansive showcase of junior talent, featuring a wide range of art forms including paintings, sculptures, ceramic works, designs, photography, and much more.
A huge thank you to all our dedicated Visual Arts staff, our Art Tech, Leisa, and all the install helpers for making the event run so smoothly.
To all our young artists: Stay inspired and keep creating!
MCKINNON VISUAL ARTS CAPTAIN SHORTLISTED FOR VCAA SEASON OF EXCELLENCE 2026
We are thrilled to announce that 2025 Visual Arts Captain Delilah Vlasak Galante has been shortlisted for the highly competitive Top Screen and Top Arts 2026 exhibitions as part of VCAA’s annual Season of Excellence showcase. This selection means her work is among the very best in the state for VCE Art Creative Practice and Media Studies.
Delilah’s Art Creative Practice wire sculpture, 'Hair Holds Memories,' uses real hair and paper stars containing collected memories to explore the profound connection between a woman's identity and her hair. The piece beautifully depicts a timeless scene of two young girls braiding each other's hair, symbolizing a universal rite of passage shared across different cultures and eras. If chosen, Delilah’s artwork will be exhibited at the NGV Top Arts Exhibition in early 2026.
Delilah’s Media submission, a captivating music video she produced for the song "Letting Go" by Angie McMahon, was chosen for consideration for the annual display. If successful, her video will be exhibited at ACMI and the Melbourne Museum next year, running from March to July 2026.
Congratulations on this amazing achievement, Delilah! We wish you the very best of luck.
MCKINNON ART CREATIVE PRACTICE STUDENT SHORTLISTED FOR TOP ARTS 2026
Year 12 student Abigail Airey has also been shortlisted for Top Arts 2026 for her Oil Painting drifting memories. In her final year, Abigail explored water as a central theme and subject matter. Through water, Abigail has explored ideas around transience and memory. The artwork depicts the study of water and its formal qualities. With a focus on its reflective qualities, its structure and movement. As Abigail states it reflects the human experience of moments of calm persistence amid life’s unpredictable currents.
Abigail had worked tirelessly, throughout her Year 12 study and the recognition for NGV Top Arts is testament of this. Congratulations and best of luck with becoming a finalist.
FRESH TAKE GAME CHANGER AWARD WINNER!
This year, a dedicated team of McKinnon students achieved a significant win in a major community initiative: designing, producing, and distributing a powerful anti-vaping campaign aimed at young Australians.
The competition saw our students work in conjunction with the Glen Eira and Stonnington councils, competing against many other schools across the Bayside area. This unique experience provided an invaluable opportunity for our students to collaborate directly with young professionals in the design and creative industries.
The incredible collaboration, artistry, and dedication shown by our students resulted in McKinnon Secondary College winning the Fresh Take Game Changer Award!
As part of this fantastic win, the school will receive $2,000 worth of new art and creative equipment to support future student projects.
The impactful anti-vaping works created by our students are currently on public display across a variety of locations throughout the Stonnington and Glen Eira areas.
A massive well done to all the students involved. We are incredibly proud of your commitment to tackling a major health issue and your success in this competition!
Anna Bourke, Joelle Ferre & Jackson Muir
Art Teachers