14 August 2026
The Art Faculty is delighted to celebrate the success of the opening night of our 2026 SALA exhibition, Lives in Portraiture, which showcases the remarkable work of our Young Archies Portraiture Group, alongside artworks by Art staff and invited artists.
For this year’s exhibition, the Property Services Building has been transformed into a warm, welcoming and accessible gallery space. The reimagined office and foyer areas, which face Hackney Road, provided a wonderful setting for the 91 artworks on display and offered our students the opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional gallery-like environment.
The exhibition is a celebration of the technical skill, creativity and commitment of the more than 40 students who participate in the Young Archies cocurricular program. Their portraits demonstrate the impressive progress students can make when they are given the time, encouragement and opportunity to develop their artistic practice beyond the classroom.
The opening night was a resounding success, with the exhibition space filled to capacity with students, families, staff and guests. It was wonderful to see our young artists proudly sharing their work with the community. A number of artworks by students and Art Faculty staff were also purchased. These sales will help raise valuable funds for The Smith Family, adding a meaningful philanthropic dimension to the exhibition.
Our sincere thanks go to the Property Services staff for generously allowing the Art Faculty to utilise this space and for supporting the transformation of the building into a vibrant exhibition venue. Special thanks must also go to Young Archies Coordinator, Rosalynde Skewes, whose hard work and dedication have been instrumental in the success of both the cocurricular program and Lives in Portraiture. We also extend our thanks to Gabi Cirocco for her invaluable assistance in bringing the exhibition to life.
There are still two opportunities to experience Lives in Portraiture. The exhibition is open tonight from 3.30pm–5.00pm and Saturday 15 August from 10.00am–2.00pm. We encourage families to come along on Saturday, when a fun, family-friendly art activity will also be on offer.
We look forward to welcoming you to celebrate the wonderful achievements of our young artists.
Ms Adele Turner
Head of Arts
