Published on the 25th July 2019 by ANSTO Staff
This year’s Operation Art winner, Yvonne Huang, an enthusiastic year 11 STEM student and aspiring physicist from Cherrybrook Technology High, was given the opportunity of a lifetime to tour ANSTO’s Lucas Heights campus and meet some of Australia’s top researchers.
Operation Art, an initiative of the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the NSW Government’s Arts Unit and is run through schools across NSW each year.
This was Yvonne’s first visit to ANSTO, and during the tour met planetary and instrument scientist Helen Maynard-Casey, and researcher Katie Sizeland (a superstar of STEM), who gave Yvonne first-hand insight into where a career in science could take her.
Dr Katie Sizeland (left) and Yvonne Huang
Over 700 artworks were submitted this year, with 50 chosen to tour in exhibitions at prestigious locations such as the Art Gallery of NSW before being permanently displayed at the hospital.
Yvonne said she felt privileged to be invited to ANSTO and to meet with such inspiring and accomplished female scientists like Helen and Katie.
“Science has always been a passion of mine, and I hope to one day have a career in the field,” she said.
“I am currently studying physics and engineering at school and meeting the ANSTO scientists was incredible.
“I entered Operation Art not knowing where it would take me but to be invited to Australia’s landmark nuclear facility and to see the OPAL reactor up close was very special.
“Although art and science might seem like polar opposites, I’ve learnt from Katie and Helen that having a creative, open and inquiring mind is essential to a career in science.”
CEO of ANSTO, Dr Adi Paterson, said ANSTO was proud to sponsor a program that helps make a difference to so many children in hospitals because we are working hard every day to ensure the health of Australians benefit from what we do here. We’re delighted that Yvonne has come to ANSTO and has such a keen interest in science.
“Yvonne is a prime example of the future of science, she is enthusiastic about what science delivers and the important role it will continue to play in our future.” Dr Paterson said.
“Yvonne was given the chance to see first-hand where lifesaving medicine and research is conducted, here at our Lucas Heights campus, and I hope this has proved helpful to her in her future endeavors.”
Every year schools across New South Wales are invited to participate in Operation Art, an initiative of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in association with the Arts Unit, NSW Government whereby students are invited to prepare artwork for children in hospital.
Over 700 artworks are submitted every year and all of them are exhibited at the Armory Gallery at Sydney Olympic Park before 50 are chosen for a touring exhibition, which is shown at the Art Gallery of NSW and regional galleries for a year. Some exhibited works will eventually be hung at the Children’s Hospital at Westfield.