Colourful paintings, pastels, mosaics, sculptures, photographs and ceramics are submitted by schools from the Diocese of Sandhurst, representing artists from Foundation to Year 12.

The exhibition launch was attended by artists, families and guests, and was first held in 2010 to celebrate the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop and her inspiration to countless generations of Australians.

Now in its tenth year, the exhibition continues to grow in size and quality each year.

Major award winners included Phoeby Chapman from St Joseph's College, Echuca and Taeah Brown from Marist College Bendigo who shared the senior Spiritual Art award.

Junior winners in the Spiritual Art Award were Kai McKenzie from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Elmore and Addison Nugent from Sacred Heart, Corryong.

Zak Rovers from Catherine McAuley College, Bendigo, won the MacKillop Art prize for a VCE or VCAL artwork.

Zac's artwork, titled, 'Knock on Wood' was created from manipulated plywood, which was covered in ink, then transferred onto raw printmaking paper.

The Primary Art prize was awarded to Grade 6 student, Ava Tadich from St Therese's, Kennington.

Ava's watercolour, titled, "The abandoned shack' captured the beauty of a derelict house set among the Australian landscape.

The Philomena Billington Scholarship for Social Justice through The Arts was also presented to Galen Catholic College will use the scholarship to bring the unknown stories of Indigenous Australians into light.

Last year's recipients, St Patrick's Primary School reported on their experience over the past year where the school collaborated with the Arena Theatre Company after successfully securing the scholarship in 2018. Students worked with the Arena team to create a variety of creative forms, including puppetry, song writing, poetry, drone filming, costume construction and story-telling.

The MacKillop Art Exhibition is held at Sacred Heart Cathedral for two weeks in Term 4 each year.