The HSC Showcase provides a professional platform to celebrate exemplary students of Visual Arts whilst also serving as a benchmark of excellence for younger emerging talent.

This event will be one of the highlights of our academic calendar: amidst the strains and pressures of HSC preparation, it offers the opportunity to admire and be moved by the creative impulse of our young artists across Sydney Catholic Schools. The range of media is broad and the quality of artistry is sophisticated and perceptive.

The Visual Arts have played a vital role within the curriculum empowering students to engage in diverse forms of visual communication: they have strengthened a love of the integrity of differences and upheld the, at times counter-cultural, the principle that method and madness (in the best sense of the word) can form a brilliant and powerful equilibrium so that original ideas can be tested, reformed, redrafted, reworked- and finally, brought to an exhibition so that the power of artistry can be shared and enjoyed by everyone. The artistic conversation is unique-and the teaching of art requires exceptional gifts.

Congratulations to each student; the HSC Showcase celebrates a collective creative drive, and it is a testament to all students’ practice and perseverance.

Information and FAQs

  • In showcase programs, SCS includes HSC works that reflect a range of topics, styles and forms. These works often include material and styles that are innovative, risk-taking and original in approach, all artworks must be appropriate for a school audience, must be age-appropriate and reflect Sydney Catholic Schools values. 
  • Nominations with inappropriate content and language will not be considered.
  • Artworks must adhere to the  Submitted works and practical examinations: health and safety issues (ACE 9016). If any artwork is found to be a health and safety issue in the hanging of the exhibition it will not be included. 
  • Schools may nominate as many artworks that they deem to be exemplary.
  • Must be original to the student and ‘all their own work’
  • Schools are to submit a separate form for student entry.
  • A Parent /carer email address must be given for correspondence if selected to be exhibited to pick up from the ACU McGlade Gallery on the nominated date.
  • A student Gmail email address must be given for correspondence if selected to be exhibited to pick up from the ACU McGlade Gallery on the nominated date.
  • Schools are responsible for communicating to parents /carers and students about dates regarding the collection of artworks on the nominated dates.
  • Sydney Catholic Schools does not take any responsibility for damaged work transported to and from the gallery.
  • The artworks need to remain at the Gallery until the exhibition is over.

HSC Showcase artworks will be determined by a panel of experienced HSC markers from Sydney Catholic Schools, the SCS Arts Team and our Artist-in-Residence.

  • The judging criteria will consider;
    • using judgement when making artistic decisions for varying contexts, audience purposes, and situations
    • making artworks exploring the content of practice, the conceptual framework, and the frames
    • using research to guide artistic practice
    • experimenting with various processes, techniques and skills adapted from various artistic styles
    • considering, interpreting and influencing meaning when constructing layers of their body of work and expressive forms.
  • Originality of the submission.
  • The judge’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Schools may nominate as many HSC artworks that they deem to be exemplary.

  • Ensure your artwork file is named as: ‘SchoolName_StudentName_ArtworkTitle’ before you submit in the online form
  • Artist full name
  • School Name
  • Title of BOW
  • Expressive Form
  • An Artist Statement must be submitted 150 – 200 words NO PDF, please. The statement must be proofread by the classroom teacher and correct.
  • A CLEAR JPEG or PNG photograph of the artwork(s) must be submitted for selection. Any photographs must be high resolution (maximum 5MB)
  • Artworks must be photographed and attached to the online submission form. If using a phone to create the image, please ensure that the camera frames the artwork with the edges in the frame.
  • JPEG CONVERTER
  • PNG Converter
  • PDF CONVERTER

All submitted artworks will be required to complete a Permission to Publish Consent form. This form must be provided and sent in with their original artwork for the expert judging panel.

Please note this form will be for the selected artworks only and will be sent to the ‘selected’ to be included in the ACU McGlade Gallery,  schools selected artworks will be announced via the Honour Roll.