Bold ideas, vivid storytelling and the creative self-expression of youth are set to be showcased this weekend as one of the region's most popular annual art exhibitions gets underway.
Opening at the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, on Sunday, First Class 25 will feature works from 28 standout 2025 HSC Visual Arts students from across the Hunter Region and Central Coast.
MAC yapang Curator Ellen Hewitt said artworks were selected in collaboration with First Class Curator Karen Moscovis, not only for their creativity, but for the depth of thinking behind each work and the level of skill demonstrated in each artist's chosen medium.
"We also consider the time and care the student has put into developing their ideas and how thoughtfully those ideas have been executed," she said.
The result is a colourful, confronting and captivating journey through the minds and talents of young local artists, with mental health, environmental concerns and feminism among the recurring themes explored.
"Each year the exhibition is completely different, reflecting the perspectives of young people and the world they're responding to, which is constantly changing," Hewitt said.
"Their creativity and ways of thinking are not only exciting but often deeply poignant."
Among this year's featured artists is Maya Thornton, whose vibrant pencil-on-paper work, Florescence, explores femininity and personal identity, drawing on her mother's experience as a florist.
"Flowers became my inspiration, as they represent the connection I share with my mum," she said.
"The saturated colours reflect the strength, beauty and complexity of womanhood."
Thornton said inclusion in First Class 25 was "incredibly humbling and deeply rewarding".
"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 opens on Sunday with a free 10am-3pm event at MAC yapang, including youth markets and live entertainment.
The exhibition runs until 19 April. Go to mac.lakemac.com.au
