One is Australia's leading prize for portraiture, the other, similarly named is even more important.
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The grown-up version is the Archibald Prize, Australia's premier portraiture award, but it's the Keirabald that has Wollongong's next generation of artists pumped for opening night.
The excitement is contagious, Keira High School's principal Scott Frazier said.
"It's just such a wonderful combination of community and curriculum - which might sound odd.
"But this event is just a pure celebration of art and the students from our feeder schools."
Students from seven Wollongong schools vie for the homegrown portraiture award.
Years 5 and 6 students from Mount Ousley, Balgownie, Coniston, Fairy Meadow, Pleasant Heights, and Wollongong public schools, as well as Year 7 from Keira High, are all involved.
For Keira High's acting creative and performing arts head teacher Rowena Booker, it is her first involvement in the annual competition.
"The process is now a well-established one but working with the six primary schools has been wonderful," Mrs Booker.
The exhibition, the brainchild of longtime Keira High School visual arts teacher Karen Mors, is the "most wonderful gift".
"It is just amazing that all of these schools have given the visual arts such a high profile," Mrs Booker said.
Work to hang the 131 portraits in this year's competition at the Project Contemporary Artspace began earlier this week, Ms Mors, who is retired but still involved, explained.
"It's based on the Archibald rules but we've changed up some things. For instance, we've had themes before - like red, and who do you think you are.
"This year it's 'someone important to me'."
The stipulation judges cannot read the artist's statement is particularly crucial this year, Ms Mors said.
"The statements add so much to the art, they are just so heartfelt and touching - even more so this year because it is a personal."
Mr Frazier can't wait for students and their families to lap up the exhibition.
"Opening night is always packed and just a wonderful celebration of community and curriculum."
And with a bevvy of family members the subject of many a portraits, the crowd is expected to be sizeable.
The exhibition opens on Thursday night at the Project Contemporary Artspace, 255 Keira St, Wollongong, and continues until Sunday afternoon.
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