Top HSC art students from the Hunter and Central Coast to exhibit at MAC yapang in Lake Macquarie

newy.com.au – A selection of works by 28 standout 2025 Higher School Certificate (HSC) Visual Arts students from across the Hunter Region and Central Coast will go on display at the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, when First Class 25 opens on Sunday.

The annual exhibition is known for showcasing emerging local talent and offering a snapshot of the issues and ideas young artists are responding to through their major school artworks.

MAC yapang curator Ellen Hewitt said the pieces were chosen in collaboration with First Class curator Karen Moscovis, with selection based on more than visual impact alone. “We also consider the time and care the student has put into developing their ideas and how thoughtfully those ideas have been executed,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt described the final exhibition as “a colourful, confronting and captivating journey through the minds and talents of young local artists”, with mental health, environmental concerns and feminism among recurring themes. She said the show shifts each year as students reflect a changing world, adding: “Their creativity and ways of thinking are not only exciting but often deeply poignant.”

Among the artists featured is Maya Thornton, whose pencil-on-paper work Florescence explores femininity and personal identity while drawing on her mother’s experience as a florist. “Flowers became my inspiration, as they represent the connection I share with my mum,” Thornton said. “The saturated colours reflect the strength, beauty and complexity of womanhood.”

Thornton said being selected for First Class 25 was “incredibly humbling and deeply rewarding”, describing the process of making art as both personal and exposed. “Creating art can often feel personal and vulnerable, so to have it acknowledged at this level means a great deal to me,” she said. “Knowing that something rooted in such personal memory and feeling has resonated with others feels both reassuring and encouraging.”

First Class 25 will open with a free event at MAC yapang from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday, featuring youth markets and live entertainment, before the exhibition continues until Saturday 19 April.