TOPshots 2021–22 Award announcement

TOPshots is an annual celebration of emerging photomedia artists at the Monash Gallery of Art (MGA). Established more than a decade ago, the award and exhibition showcases exceptional photographic work produced by students who have completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subjects of Art, Media, and Studio Arts, as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Visual Arts.

© Lucy Crowe. Pink scales, 2021, from the series, Fragile armour. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of the artist and Sacre Coeur.
© Lucy Crowe. Pink scales, 2021, from the series, Fragile armour. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of the artist and Sacre Coeur.

The artworks displayed in this exhibition have been selected from a large pool of entries, and represent a small sample of the creative talent that emerged out of Melbourne’s high schools in 2021.

The winner of TOPshots 2021–22 will receive the inaugural Rosie Hughes Memorial Prize, sponsored by The Waverley Camera Club, in memory of their late member Rosie Hughes.

Artists: Ella Chawkley | Emerald Secondary College, Mikayla Crossett | Glen Waverley Secondary College, Lucy Crowe | Sacre Coeur, Sebastian Crupi | Kew High School, Gabrielle Edwards | Vermont Secondary College, Stella Hammet | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Isabella Hughes | Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Madison Jeffares | Caulfield Grammar School, Chloe Lochhead | Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Tom Machin | Carey Baptist Grammar School, Jemima Mantello | Toorak College, Olivia McQuitty | Avila College, Rochelle Paris | Beaconhills College, Jodhi Ramsden-Mavric | Albert Park College, Lucy Vickers-Willis | Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak

RSVP via the link above for the event which take place on 28 May at 2pm.

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

April

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

May

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.

June

Sydney: Until 6 July. Presenting the results of the 2025 World Press Photo Contest, the annual exhibition showcases the best and most important photojournalism and documentary photography of the last year.

Melbourne: June 5 - 16 August 2025. The explore the history of Alan Adler's photobooths and their cultural significance, alongside visual stories told by the community.

Adelaide: 7 June – 16 August. Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this photographic exhibition captures the experience of lives lived through dance.

Melbourne: 7 June – 31 August. Protest is a Creative Act seeks to address issues around the body, sexuality, race, national identity and the environment.

Canberra; June 19 - July 12 2025. The River Report is a five-day map of when a normal Yitilal (wet season) turned into a major disaster and the local inhabitants were once again displaced.