Young artists and what really matters to them
Schools
An esteemed art exhibition has opened its doors in Adelaide’s Light Square Gallery and is showcasing the work of 142 students from across South Australia - including several winners from Catholic schools.
Now in its fourth decade, the SACE Art Show remains one of the state’s largest and longest-running showcases of student art – represented in painting, sculpture, textiles, mixed media and more – from pupils who completed Stage 2 Visual Art and Design last year.
A focus on connection to culture, home and family runs through the exhibition as students translate their interpretation of home, history and heritage into works that bridge the gap between individual identity and community history
And there have been awards for four students from Catholic schools in 2026, including Tesha Kugena, representing St Joseph’s School Port Lincoln. Tesha collected the Minister for Human Services Regional Encouragement Award for her haunting multi-media installation, A Time of Silence.
Her work reflects on the impact of the nuclear tests at Maralinga during the 1950s and ’60s, drawing from her own family’s experience to bring a deeply personal perspective to a national story.
“I really wanted people to feel the ongoing impact of what the Maralinga nuclear tests did to Aboriginal people,” Tesha said.
By contrast, fellow St Joseph’s student Oliver Tarrant brought a playful energy to the gallery with a custom-designed 52-card deck celebrating the people, icons and animals of his hometown as he picked up the Minister for Human Services Regional Encouragement award for Port Lincoln Playing Card.
Oliver Tarrant’s innovative 52 deck playing card.
Alexis Guerra (Sacred Heart College) won the Independent Education Union Art Show award with an untitled artwork while Teresa Kennedy (St Dominic’s Priory College) collected Eckersley’s Art & Craft Encouragement award for her work Reborn.
Acting SACE board chief executive Hassan Mekawy said the exhibition highlights the role of art as a powerful educational tool, helping students engage meaningfully and amplify the issues that matter most to them.
“Celebrated for more than 40 years, the SACE Art Show highlights how art is a powerful education tool to engage students, help them learn meaningfully and amplify their voices on issues that matter to them most,” he said.
Hosted by the SACE Board and TAFE SA, and supported by a range of education and arts organisations, the exhibition is open to the public until April 10.
