Principal artist Sandii Walker said the students are excited to be holding the impromptu exhibition, after was looking unlikely to go ahead for the first time in 17 years.

"Our artists have continued to work throughout this year's difficult lockdown and the joy and colour in the resulting works is really uplifting," she said.

"We usually exhibit annually at the library in the month of October and were resigned to the fact that this would be the first year in 17 years that we would not have an opportunity to take our brand of joy and colour to the public.

"Then in late November Susan (Davy, from the library) contacted us and offer us the foyer space over the months of December and January.

"To the artists' credit they have taken their lockdown works and finessed them into a gorgeous works of art to be proud of, and the opportunity to bring them all together in a publicly exhibit for our community to appreciate really does bookend our year in a positive and uplifting way."

The exhibition will run until January 31.

The library will be closed from noon on Christmas Eve until 9am on Tuesday, January 4.

READ MORE: School holiday fun at Cessnock and Kurri libraries