ARTEXPRESS Virtual is an initiative of The Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education. The Arts Unit provides a state wide infrastructure for arts education that engages more than 500,000 students and teachers in its programs annually.
ARTEXPRESS is a joint partnership between the New South Wales Department of Education and the New South Wales Education Standards Authority. It is an annual showcase of exemplary art works from the previous year’s Higher School Certificate that celebrates the remarkably high standards reached by NSW Visual Arts students.
The creative arts have a fundamental place in education and are invaluable for student engagement and self-expression. Learning through the arts develops creativity and innovative thinking. Through visual arts education, students share their unique perspectives and make connections with the artistic and wider community. The artworks selected for ARTEXPRESS demonstrate the informed and insightful creativity of contemporary youth, exploring themes and issues that affect today’s HSC students, encompassing personal experience and encouraging us to consider issues that connect people around the globe.
Selection
The 2021 ARTEXPRESS Virtual exhibition includes 54 bodies of work across the 12 expressive forms within the NSW Visual Arts HSC syllabus. In 2021, there are ten ARTEXPRESS exhibitions showcasing 270 outstanding bodies of work from the 2020 Higher School Certificate Visual Arts practical examination. Each exhibited body of work was selected from 8,617 artworks submitted for the practical Visual Arts examination in 2020.
Acknowledgments
Congratulations to the 2021 ARTEXPRESS Virtual artists for their commitment to creating artworks that are truly inspiring. We hope you continue to create and share your art into the future.
ARTEXPRESS Virtual would like to thank visual arts teachers for their support and dedication to their students and their advocacy of the arts in education. We also extend our appreciation to the principals and members of the school communities for the important work they do.
Thank you to NESA for their partnership and to the many people who contribute to the program throughout the year.
Our sincere appreciation to the galleries who are part of the ARTEXPRESS 2020 exhibitions for their support of this project: Art Gallery of NSW, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, The Armory at Sydney Olympic Park, Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Margaret Whitlam Galleries and Goulburn Regional Art Gallery.
Production
ARTEXPRESS Project Officer
Jenny Beachum
ARTEXPRESS Support Officer
Shannen Rowland-Clarke
ARTEXPRESS Administration
Emma Jefferson
Rampe Realistic Imaging
Michael Rampe – Main Project Producer, Principal Photography, 3D imaging, 2D imaging, Co-curator
Peter Reeves – Web Development and VR Lead
Pedestal 3D Pty Ltd – 3D display platform
Bandicoot Imaging Sciences Pty Ltd – Shimmer view photography and technology
Curator and Consultant
Ron Pratt – Head Teacher, Creative and Performing Arts, Wyndham College
Student Interviews
Daniel Repeti – Teacher, Visual Arts / Photography / Film / Digital Media, Wyndham College
HSC Visual Arts Marker’s Commentary
Rebecca Donoghue - Head Teacher Creative and Performing Arts, Cherrybrook Technology High School
Lisa Gascoigne – Head of Department, Visual Arts and Technology, St Aloysius' College
Carla Haberecht - Gifted & Talented Coordinator, Visual Arts Faculty, Fairvale High School
Karen King – Leader of Learning, Creative Arts, Caroline Chisholm College
Craig Malyon – Visual Arts Coordinator, Loreto Kirribilli
Jane Poiner – Head of Visual Arts | Head of Design and Technology, The Macdonald College
Maree-Louise Smith – Educator and Teacher in Charge, Visual Arts, St Clare's College, Waverley