Here’s hoping St Anne’s College, one of the more recently established schools in Greater Shepparton, included a trophy case in their build.
If not, the school may need to invest in one after five of their students were awarded top prizes during the 2023 MacKillop Art Exhibition official opening at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo on November 10.
Among the awards given out on the night was the Spiritual Art Award in Years 11 and 12, presented to Year 11 exchange student Flavio Fontana.
Flavio’s painting Fioritura was an expression of his Italian lifestyle.
“Fioritura means blooming in Italian. In line with the topic, Let the Words you Speak be Full of Grace, I thought that only by being kind to others using our words can strong and lasting bonds flourish,” he said.
Flavio considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to share his art here on the other side of the world before his return to Milan in December.
Also counting their lucky stars is Year 9 student Rhiannon Almond, who was awarded the Spiritual Art Award for Years 7 to 10 and the The People’s Choice Award.
Only 10 artists were chosen for the People’s Choice Award, and Rhiannon said she was excited to be one of them.
But her true joy came from crafting meaningful work.
“This summer, my family and I went for a day trip to the Redwood Forest,” she said.
“The Redwood trees were enormous, and I was scared because I felt so tiny, so Poppy comforted me, and I felt safe and like I could do anything.”
Not to be overlooked, despite the height difference between himself and his fellow winners, Year 2 student Tyson Thompson received a Highly Commended acknowledgement in the Lower Primary Art Award for his painting, Summer.
Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo inspired Tyson’s creation of a face constructed from all kinds of summer fruits.
“I was trying to think of that while making the artwork, but it looked like a bit too much for me,” he said.
“So, I tried to do something that connected more to me and my life, thinking about what inspires me, and I’ve put it (these ideas) all together to make this piece of artwork.”
Other award winners included Year 9 students Sinead McCarroll, who was recognised with a Highly Commended Intermediate Secondary Art Award for her painting titled Fighting the Mind, and Hina Batool, who was also commended for her Spiritual Art Award in Years 7 to 10 for her painting Save Us Please.
Not only did the college’s students receive recognition among 300 artworks from 40 Catholic primary and secondary schools across the Sandhurst Diocese, but the number of winners was also a record for the college in its relatively short history.
St Anne’s visual arts learning mentor Mark Almond described the event as a resounding success.
“I’m very proud of all the students who entered the competition,” he said.
“The connection that the students made with their art statements and the artworks themselves were all on track and inspiring, which is why we’ve come away with such great success.”