Bring your friends and join us for an exclusive after-hours event celebrating Top Arts 2026. You will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, hear inspiring artist talks, take part in a workshop, meet the exhibitors, and view their art portfolios.
Bookings are essential as capacity is limited.
Please note, this event is an alcohol, drug and smoke free event for secondary school students, Top Arts exhibitors and their friends. There will be people aged 18 years and over in attendance.
WHAT’S ON
Exhibition Viewing 6–8pm | Top Arts 2026
The annual Top Arts exhibition provides a platform for emerging artists from across the state to showcase their skills, enthusiasm, and creativity. The exhibition highlights the increasingly innovative use of materials and techniques employed by students completing the VCE studies of Art Making and Exhibiting and Art Creative Practice in 2025.
Top Arts 2026 offers a captivating look into the inventive and imaginative spirit of young artists.
Be inspired by the visual art journals, sketchbooks and folios of the Top Arts exhibiting artists and discover their creative journeys from the first initial idea marked on the page to the final artwork on display.
Make a Mood Board with Artist Suyeon Park 6–8pm
Take part in this drop-by workshop with artist and designer Suyeon Park and use drawing and collage techniques to create a mood board. Reflect on your ambitions, identity and aspirations as you build a visual story.
Suyeon Park is a Melbourne-based Korean-Australian illustrator and graphic designer whose work explores cultural identity, childhood memories and the importance of a positive outlook. Suyeon makes art to create a feeling of tranquillity and joy in the viewer and often illustrates the fond memories of her childhood in South Korea.
Get to Know You Bingo 6.30–7pm
Meet like-minded people and make new friends in this Get to Know You Bingo game. Instead of numbers, your bingo card is filled with conversation prompts to get you chatting about your interests and passions – find out who else shares the same dreams as you or listens to the same music.
Top Arts Overview and Artist Talk with NGV Curator Leah Santilli 7–7.25pm
Join Top Arts Curator Leah Santilli for an introduction into Top Arts 2026 and discover how the exhibition came together. Then, hear from exhibiting artists Goldman Xu and Audrey Strickland-Wilkinson when they join Leah to discuss the ideas, inspiration and challenges behind their artworks.
PRESENTING PARTNER
The NGV Teens program is generously supported by Beatrice Moignard, The Betsy and Ollie Polasek Endowment, JTM Foundation, Serp Hills Foundation, Alex & Brady Scanlon and Rachel Kwei.