The first public exhibitions of final-year students' artworks were selected from the Leaving Certificate in the late 1950s by the supervisor of art, Bob Winder, who later went on to become Director-General for education in NSW. Venues included the faculty common rooms at Sydney University and the University of NSW, and the Commonwealth Savings Bank in Martin Place. Works were displayed in January and early February.

A small selection of works - mostly paintings - were then crated and transported free-of-charge by the Sydney Morning Herald delivery trucks to country high schools. Showings were hung and supervised by art teachers.

1960s
When the first Higher School Certificate examination was held in 1967, artworks were selected and mounted by art advisors and consultants in the foyer of the Clancy Auditorium at the University of NSW. Another selection was exhibited at the Secondary Principals Conference at the Narrabeen Fitness Centre. Both venues were utilised for a number of years until 1975.

1970s
Metropolitan shows were held at various venues, such as Liverpool High School and Asquith High School. The first regional art gallery to show the HSC works was the Orange Regional Art Gallery in 1978 and 1979. These exhibitions were organised by Jane Raffan and were so popular that other regional galleries were soon queuing up.

In 1976 the exhibition was shown in the foyer of the Seymour Centre at Sydney University. From 1977 to 1980, the Clancy Auditorium became the central Sydney exhibition venue. Outer metropolitan schools often provided additional display sites. Country tours ceased for a time because the Herald's delivery truck service was disbanded. In 1978-79 Orange Regional Gallery showed a small collection.

1980s
There was no Sydney exhibition in 1980 as Art Branch had closed, the Commonwealth Bank was closing for renovations, the Clancy Auditorium was not available and there seemed to be no budget or staffing provided for its continuation. A small show travelled to the Orange and Lake Macquarie regional galleries, and Liverpool region sponsored a showing at the Milperra CAE.

The name 'ARTEXPRESS' was coined in 1981, when the exhibition became part of the Festival of Sydney and was shown in the basement of Sydney Town Hall. Exhibitions continued to be mounted by consultants attached to the Directorate of Studies (Curriculum) with Community Relations lending assistance. In 1983 the exhibition moved to Centrepoint in the Sydney central business district. A small collection was shown by the Education Services department of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and in 1984-85 ARTEXPRESS exhibitions were organised in Newcastle. These were supported by the Newcastle Herald and the United Permanent Building Society. In 1985 the entire exhibition travelled from Centrepoint to the Newcastle Permanent Building Society building and also to Asquith High School. The travelling show went in a rental truck to isolated communities, with Vivienne Binns as artist-in-residence. She visited Cooma, Bega, Eden, Eurobodalla, Hay, Berrigan, Deniliquin, Balrenald, Wenthworth, Cobar, Coonamble, Gunnedah and Scone. Country tours were re-established with the assistance of the Regional Galleries Association, the Arts Council and the Country Areas Program.

For a number of years the metropolitan regions alternately hosted the exhibition. In addition to a central Sydney venue, ARTEXPRESS was shown at Parramatta, Milperra CAE, North Sydney and Sutherland and 'ARTEXPRESS on the Move' went to regional galleries in Muswellbrook, Goulburn, Maitland, Tamworth and to Hay High School.

By 1986 the Community Relations Unit had taken responsibility for coordinating the growing number of ARTEXPRESS exhibitions, and an art teacher was deployed full time to manage ARTEXPRESS and the development of the department's art collection. Since then ARTEXPRESS has continued to develop, expand and change in form and style. Sponsorship has made possible a vast improvement in the quality of presentation. Works are professionally framed and publicised, and a full-colour, annotated catalogue is produced. The exhibition was shown in several Sydney venues: the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Westpac Museum, The Coachhouse in The Rocks and in the windows of David Jones city stores. The nature and special focus of these exhibitions varied from year to year, to reflect different aspects of the syllabus or students' artmaking practices. The exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales then travelled to five or six regional galleries each year, while many of the works from the other Sydney venues were shown at special one-off shows such as national teachers' conferences.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales became the main venue in 1989.
 

1990s to present
In 1990 ARTEXPRESS travelled overseas for the first time, to New York, where it was shown at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. It has since been shown in San Francisco and Tokyo. In 1992 it travelled across Australia to Perth, Bunbury and Geraldton art galleries, and there are plans for ARTEXPRESS to travel to other countries in future years.

In 1999 responsibility for organising ARTEXPRESS exhibitions was taken over by the Arts Unit of the Department of Education and Training.

The William Wilkins Art Collection is a collection of artworks by senior students purchased from the annual student exhibitions since the early 1960s.

Lesley Brown
Manager of ARTEXPRESS