Geelong Gallery hosts Archibald Prize

Geelong Gallery is delighted to be the exclusive Victorian venue for the 2017 Archibald Prize.

High profile, eagerly anticipated and often controversial, the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ Archibald Prize is Australia’s favourite art award for the best portrait painting of the who’s who in Australian culture, with subjects often including politicians, celebrities, sporting heroes, authors and artists.

Director of the Geelong Gallery Jason Smith said the Gallery is excited to present the Archibald Prize in Geelong for the first time.

“It’s a national drawcard exhibition that brings a great sense of pride to the community,” Mr Smith said.

“There is such a wide range of work to look at, from realism to abstract, there is something everyone can enjoy viewing.

“We also look forward to presenting our community with extended opportunities to engage with artists, sitters and more generally with the genre of portraiture.”

Since its inception in 1921, the Archibald Prize has been engaging art enthusiasts, and challenging the way society see themselves in society. Over the years, the prize has been awarded to many of Australia’s most prominent artists.

Exhibited in this years’ exhibition are 43 portraits, including 2017 Archibald Prize winner Mitch Cairns for his portrait of partner and artist Agatha Gothe-Snape and the Packing Room Prize winner Peter Smeeth for his portrait of Lisa Wilkinson AM.

There is a strong local connection between Geelong and the Archibald Prize, which is named for JF Archibald (Christened John Feltham), who was born in Geelong West on January 14 1856 and lived in the region beginning his journalism career in Warnambool when he was 15 years old. The exhibition will be open daily 10am to 5pm and Friday evenings 6pm to 9pm from October 28 to December 10. Entry fees apply. For more information, visit geelonggallery.org.au.