Outside the Classroom
Top Arts
From 13 March, visitors to the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square will be able to view the work of Coburg High School's Frankie-Belle Taylor - one of the less than 50 students selected statewide for Top Arts 2026 from a pool of approximately 1,300 applicants.
Current year 12 student Frankie completed Art Making and Exhibiting in 2025, and her selected work, Cuddles?, is a textile sculpture, intuitively hand-crocheted with synthetic yarns. Having taught herself to crochet at the start of primary school, Frankie brings a lifetime of working with fibre to the piece. "Although I based my initial learning process in written patterns, I prefer a state of free exploration, combining my understanding of methods with the freedom to evolve the pieces how I feel.”
The sculpture draws on a range of inspirations - from the work of Indian textile artist Mrinalini Mukherjee and American fibre artist Sheila Hicks, to Australian native flora, sea anemones, and the vivid imagery of the human body.
“Throughout year 12, my central point of exploration was the tension between my gratitude for life and current health, and being unable to shake anxieties about the ever present possibility of sudden change. A culmination of these ideas, “Cuddles?” explores my [existential] anxieties about health, and how they have shaped my outlook on life.”
The work's repeating tendrils, vibrant red tones, and irregular form reflect a fascination with blood's flowing movement, while the soft, fuzzy chenille yarn is deliberately reminiscent of childhood comfort objects. "The question mark in the title, along with this material choice, represent my mourning for how tactile comforts have lost their ability to soothe my fears as I grow older."
The result is a sculpture that is simultaneously monstrous and tender - designed to shock, yet seemingly asking for a hug.
Frankie's four folios will also be available for viewing as part of the exhibition, and a full written Q&A about her work can be found on the NGV website: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/top-arts-2026/
Top Arts 2026 runs 13 March – 19 July, free entry, NGV Design Studio, Ground Level, Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square.
Top Arts is an annual exhibition presented by the National Gallery of Victoria that celebrates outstanding achievement in VCE Art Making and Exhibiting and VCE Creative Practice. Showcasing a curated selection of exemplary works from across Victoria, the exhibition highlights the technical refinement, conceptual strength and personal inquiry demonstrated by emerging young artists. Being selected for Top Arts is a significant accomplishment. Students are recognised not only for their craftsmanship, but for their ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity, originality and emotional depth. Displayed within a major public gallery, these works are presented in a professional context, offering students the rare opportunity to see their practice situated within a broader contemporary arts landscape.
Top Arts also provides valuable insight into creative processes, often including folios and artist statements that reveal experimentation, reflection and risk taking. In doing so, the exhibition affirms the importance of arts education and demonstrates how young artists contribute meaningful perspectives to cultural conversations through deeply personal and socially aware themes.
This year, we are especially proud that Frankie-Belle’s textile sculpture Cuddles? has been selected for inclusion. Her work explores existential anxieties surrounding health and the ways these fears have shaped her outlook on life. Drawing inspiration from Mrinalini Mukherjee, native Australian flora and fauna, and the visceral qualities of the human body, Frankie-Belle constructed a wire armature encased in hand crocheted textile forms. Repeated tendrils and deep red tones evoke both organic growth and the movement of blood, transforming deeply personal emotion into a powerful sculptural presence that is intimate, confronting and conceptually sophisticated.
CHS Kitchen Garden
Term 1 Update
Our Kitchen Garden has become a vibrant hub of learning, teamwork, and responsibility this term, and we are incredibly proud of how enthusiastically 8F have embraced the challenge. What began as a small patch of soil has quickly transformed into a thriving garden space where students are getting their hands dirty while learning valuable life skills. From preparing the soil and planning layouts to carefully selecting seasonal herbs and vegetables, 8F have shown dedication, curiosity, and a wonderful sense of ownership over the project.
Students this term will be busy planting and sowing a variety of herbs and vegetables, learning about what each plant needs to grow and how to care for it throughout the season. In the next couple of weeks they will be planting basil, parsley, lettuce, spinach, and spring onions, watering and monitoring their progress each week. Through this hands-on experience, 8F are developing an understanding of sustainability, patience, and the importance of nurturing living things.
The Kitchen Garden project not only supports learning in science and health, but also builds teamwork, responsibility, and pride in contributing to our school community. We look forward to sharing more updates as 8F continues to plant, grow, and harvest in the months ahead.
Anna Vella
Yr 10 Fine Art
Yr 10 Fine Art students are starting the year exploring different materials and sources of inspiration. Although many of us have walked past the Bell Street Cemetery, few of us have been inside the gates. A few weeks ago, we took along some art materials to experience an "outside the classroom" environment and explore the possibilities the site offered as artists. Some students focussed in on textures and the natural environment, whereas others took inspiration from the statues and monuments including the inscriptions on the oldest graves.
Belinda Pringle
Library News
Welcome to a new year in the library. With that, we welcome our 2026 Library Assistants, Anna H, Aliyah N and Justine P who have already been a huge help for this librarian so far. The library has had a little bit of a makeover and it has had an overall positive response by students and staff. A change is always good for the soul.
Our new year 7 cohort has been something to behold here in the library. Never has this librarian seen such devourers of books. They are absolute reading monsters and it is amazing to witness this. Keep it up year 7!
After a one year hiatus, the library book sale is returning. YAY! The sale will begin Monday 30th March and end on the final day of term 1. If you have excess books which you were considering donating to an op shop, STOP! Please donate them to the school library and we can add them to our collection or put them into the sale to raise funds to purchase more books for our amazing reading monsters. Contact the librarian at Coburg High if you would like to donate.
Until next time….
Dianna Jarnet