The annual ARTEXPRESS exhibition is one of the most popular exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The exhibition brings together an outstanding selection of artworks produced by teenage artists.

Drawn from works submitted for the NSW Higher School Certificate Visual Arts examination, ARTEXPRESS provides insights into students’ creativity and the issues and ideas that are of importance to them. The exhibition presents the independent voice of young people to a large and diverse audience and exemplifies not just their exceptional talent but also the expertise of the Visual Arts teachers who guide them through their studies.

ARTEXPRESS 2011 at the Gallery presents 44 outstanding artworks selected from over 9700 students who sat the HSC Visual Arts exam in 2010. These works include painting, drawing, photomedia, printmaking, textiles and fibre, ceramics, graphic design, time-based works and sculpture.

Leeanne Carr, coordinator of secondary education programs at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, says: “This is an exciting and innovative exhibition presenting the wealth of creativity and imagination nurtured in NSW Visual Arts classrooms. This year marks our 28th ARTEXPRESS exhibition at the Gallery.”

This year also marks the first ARTEXPRESS connection project, connecting remote regional Visual Arts students with the Gallery’s exhibition. Leeanne Carr and Dr Susanne Jones, coordinator of ARTEXPRESS at the Department of Education and Training, will discuss the exhibition via video-conferencing and a virtual walk-through. Students will be given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the artworks in the exhibition.

For full details of ARTEXPRESS at the Gallery, together with the other Sydney metropolitan venues and regional tour, visit www.insideartexpress.com.au (the 2011 site will be live by 8 February 2011). Information about all the exhibiting artists, along with a virtual exhibition tour and a curator’s talk podcast, can be found here.

ARTEXPRESS is a joint initiative of the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Board of Studies NSW in association with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.