Early start @Art4ag HQ.

Its 5am and we are chomping at the bit on the first day of judging of the art component of 2011 Archibull Prize.

Artwork judge Wendy Taylor and chief sidekick and fill in photographer/videographer (what an all-rounder) Lynne Strong were set the task by Loran and Kirsty of Event Directors of visiting all 21 school in 72 hours.

Not an easy task and to make it worse no “tucker” breaks were factored in. That’s no latte’s (Lynne’s vice), no iced chocolates (Wendy’s vice) and no lunch let alone afternoon tea.

First Archie off the rank was Macarthur Anglican School at Cobbitty in Western Sydney where the school motto is “Enter to Learn Go out to Serve”

The school caters for K-12 but in this case it was the primary school taking on the Archibull Prize challenge.

Gossy and some of the Superstars from Macarthur Anglican including Nikola (front) Laura Virginia and Emma

Macarthur Anglican School food or fibre industry was Cotton and their Young Farming Champion was Hollie. They named their calf “Gossy” (from the scientific name for cotton) and they took the programme and ran with it in many ways, particularly looking into the beneficial properties of cotton and why you would choose to wear cotton in preference to synthetic fibres.

As an aside over the past 72 hours Wendy and Lynne have met many wonderful young people like Laura. We are very confident the future is in great hands 

Back to Macarthur Anglican and Gossy Wendy and Lynne were excited to hear that the whole of the primary school appears to have been involved in some way or other in the Archibull Prize program, which was phenomenal.

You wont believe the depth of committment the teaching staff and the students committted to investigating cotton from A to Z

So Wendy had a chat with Katrina Ha and Lynne recorded the conversation and like us we are confident you will be amazed and proud of Next Gen and the people we charge with inspiring them.

Then Wendy and Lynne managed to squeeze in a short, but needed (because we had been working so hard!) coffee break in the Macarthur Anglican School new school café which is in a converted house on the school grounds which also doubles as the school uniform shop.

The strain is beginning to show - nutrients are needed

The café is open to staff, parents and senior students. (Anna and Rebecca make divine brownies too –just quietly!).

"Brownies to Die for"

Then it was on the road again. Off to Caroline Chisholm College in Glenmore Park this time.

But more about that tomorrow night.

Too tired! Not enough coffee!