Three students, from NBSC Manly Campus, Killarney Heights High School and St Luke’s Grammar School, have been recognised for their artistic excellence and innovation in their HSC Visual Arts works.
Each year the Theo Batten Youth Art Award supports recipients in pursuing arts studies at a tertiary level and is named in honour of former local artist, Theo Batten. The prize pool is valued at $5,000.
Ten artworks featured in this year’s Out Front 2026 exhibition of HSC Visual Arts student works at Manly Art Gallery & Museum (MAG&M). Of those artworks, respected local artist, Amber Boardman, nominated the winners and highly commended.
This year’s joint winners are Jennifer Choi (NBSC Manly Campus), for Virtual Daydreams, acrylic on canvas and Arta Dehghan (Killarney Heights High School), for Facades, graphite pencil drawing.
Each winner will receive $2,000 towards their future arts studies.
“The most promising work to me includes a mix of technical skill, as well as, another element that pushes beyond the technical into another area,” Ms Boardman said of the works she judged.
“I sometimes call this ‘element x’, something unexpected in the work that can surprise us viewers.
“I believe that Arta achieved this terrifically with Facades, by somehow creating strange cavernous spaces within three small graphite drawings.
“Jennifer’s work Virtual Daydreams creates a dizzying composition with acidic bright tones that somehow recreates the overwhelm of our shared digital lives.”
Olivia Sammut (St Luke’s Grammar School), won Highly Commended for Homesick: A Severance, oil paint and oil pastel on canvas. Olivia will receive $1,000.
“Olivia’s work is an ambitious, large-scale, expressive work that employs a wide range of processes and mark-making in the service of personal storytelling,” Ms Boardman added.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins expressed her admiration for the calibre of artists in this year’s exhibition.
“The Out Front exhibition is a testament to the immense talent present in our local schools, and we are delighted to support these emerging artists as they take the next steps in their creative journeys,” Mayor Heins said.
The Out Front 2026 exhibition is on display at MAG&M from 20 February to 5 April 2026 showcasing 25 HSC Visual Arts students’ works from 21 local high schools. The community is invited to visit the exhibition and vote for their favourite artwork in the KALOF People’s Choice Award.
For more information on Out Front 2026: HSC Visual Arts from Sydney’s Northern Beaches go here.
