A group of 40 school students are being given the chance to display their art at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).
The students were chosen through the 2026 Creative Generation Excellence Awards.
The exhibition opened on March 28, 2026 and will run until September 13.
The artworks were chosen from more than 470 submissions from 164 schools.
They explore themes including identity, family stories, and their place in the world and include paintings, sculpture, photography, and experimental materials.
Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said this exhibition highlighted excellence in visual art education and the role of teachers shaping the next generation of artists.
“Exhibiting at the Gallery of Modern Art is a prestigious opportunity for any artist, and receiving this level of recognition so early in their careers is an incredible achievement,” he said.
“These awards showcase the degree of sophistication in concepts, diversity of technical competence, and the high standard of visual art education in state and non-state schools.”
The full list of 2025 Excellence Award winners
Far North Queensland
Abigail Beckwith, St Stephen’s Catholic College (Mareeba)
Aliyah Fujii, St Monica’s College (Cairns)
Beatrice Hossen, Cairns State High School
Maddy Coulthard, Freshwater Christian College
Scarlett Swan, Trinity Bay State High School
Sienna Loban, St Monica’s College (Cairns)
Zach Nicholls, St Augustine’s College (Cairns)
Zyon Nona, Woree State High School
North Queensland
Hope Tyrie, St Patrick’s College Townsville
Central Queensland
Hannah Dowey, Yeppoon State High School
Sophie Clayton, Whitsunday Anglican School
North Coast
Felicity Taskis, Baringa State Secondary College
Isabella Adair-Ferris, Matthew Flinders Anglican College
Mischa Judd, Siena Catholic College
Natalia Balacinska, Nambour State College
Darling Downs South West
Bron Francis, Fairholme College (Toowoomba)
Imogen Higgs, Goondiwindi State High School
Metropolitan North
Annabelle Fu, Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Connor Bashar, Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Cooper Seeto, Marist College Ashgrove
Curtis Spencer, Brisbane Grammar School
Denver Loli, St Joseph’s College (Brisbane)
Kaitlin Davern, Albany Creek State High School
Luke Jacobsen, Brisbane Grammar School
Mimi Milani, Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Miranda Hallam, Kelvin Grove State College
Seanna Fitzpatrick, Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Metropolitan South
Abigail Newell, Cleveland District State High School
Anna Whiteoak, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School
Anniina Hyytinen, Brisbane State High School
Ava Jacques, Corinda State High School
Beau Rixon, Brisbane School of Distance Education
Isaac Cain, Cannon Hill Anglican College
Mikayla Thong, Cannon Hill Anglican College
Nicholas Charlson, Anglican Church Grammar School
South East
Amelie de Vries, Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School
Ellen Sleep, All Saints Anglican School
Josiah Galer, King’s Christian College
Slade Bailey, Miami State High School
Taylor Wolski, Helensvale State High School
