Reeflections 2025 Finalists

5 August, 2025 -

at Hotel Group |
Awards

Reeflections 2025: Celebrating Art, Community & Conservation

This August, the Heart Hotel and Gallery Whitsundays proudly welcomed guests, locals, and art lovers alike to honor the vibrant creativity of young Whitsunday artists through the inaugural Reeflections Student Art Competition, an official feature of the 2025 Great Barrier Reef Festival.

Held under the inspiring theme “Whitsundays & the Great Barrier Reef, Celebrating Marine Beauty and Conservation,” the competition invited students to interpret the stunning marine world that surrounds us.

A Community Moment to Remember
The highlight of the event came when Mayor Collins made a special appearance to present the awards to our three exceptional finalists:

Lily Smith, Year 10
Natalie Cooper, Year 11
Ivy Thompson, Year 12

Each student delivered work of remarkable depth and originality, encouraged by the mentorship of Mrs Bhrett Bell from Proserpine State High School. Her dedication was pivotal in bringing Reeflections to life.

Celebrating Achievement
Our finalists didn’t just earn admiration—they were rewarded for their efforts with generous cash prizes. As an added gesture of support, Jeff Aquilina, Managing Director of at Hotel Group, offered each finalist a 2-night family escape at Grand Mercure Apartments Magnetic Island, an experience to further inspire their love for nature and the arts and to experience a different part of the Great Barrier Reef.

Guest Feedback and Local Pride
Heart Hotel and Gallery guests were genuinely moved, with many commenting on how meaningful it was to see local students’ work championed on such a prominent stage. The initiative wasn’t just a gallery event, it became a shared celebration of youth, creativity, and the spirit of community.

Where to See the Art
All finalist artworks are now on display at Heart Hotel and Gallery Whitsundays throughout August 2025, offering guests and visitors a chance to immerse themselves in these powerful artistic reflections of the Great Barrier Reef

Natalie Cooper | Year 11

Radiant Reef

This sculpture celebrates the intricate beauty and fragility of the Great Barrier Reef. Inspired by the reef’s vibrant marine life and coral structures, the work combines organic forms with real elements of the ocean like shells, corals and sand to reflect its beauty. Each element represents the delicate balance of this ecosystem, highlighting both its resilience and vulnerability. Through texture, form, and movement, the sculpture invites viewers to reflect on their connection to the ocean.

Lily Smith | Year 10

Reef of Chance

*Reef of Chance* merges coral reefs with playing cards to explore nature’s fragility and the unpredictability of life. The work reflects on how chance, strategy, and human impact intertwine within ecosystems. It invites reflection on the delicate balance between natural beauty and the randomness—or control—of human influence.

Lily Smith | Year 10

Beauty of the Depths

This painting of a whale shark captures both the majesty and fragility of ocean life. Set against a dark, dreamlike background with distorted proportions, the image reflects the whale shark’s beauty and the mystery of the sea.

As a gentle giant, the whale shark symbolizes balance in marine ecosystems—now under threat from pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Through this work, I hope to inspire empathy and a deeper commitment to protecting our oceans.

Ivy Thompson | Year 12

What We Reach For

This piece asks: what if we reached for the reef with the same desire we once reached for money, power, or fame?

The shell at the centre represents the Great Barrier Reef—fragile, beautiful, life-giving. Too often treated as expendable, here it is worshipped. The reaching figures are not greedy, but awestruck. They crave connection, not possession.

The bold reef-inspired colours and emotional brushwork express both beauty and urgency. Their desperation is not only admiration—it’s fear. Fear of losing what may already be slipping beyond reach.

What We Reach For reflects our shifting values. It asks us to reconsider where we direct our energy. Are we still chasing the empty, or can we turn toward what sustains life?

The reef is not just a resource—it is sacred. It is a treasure we must protect.