Congratulations to Sydney Printmaker member Anne Starling for being selected a finalist to the Muswellbrook Art Prize 2026. Exhibition dates 19 March-23 May
other finalists selected and their work https://www.artgalleria.com/view-room/42264
Theme: Built to Expire, Closes 19 March
Partnership between Messums UK and Orange Regional Gallery. Valued at $33,000 this six-week residency in the UK must take place between 1 September and 30 November 2026 .
Closes 30 April
St Kevins OMNIA Art Prize Toorak, closes 13 March
Closes 18th May
Opening 3pm Saturday 14 March by Mary Faith Director of Grace Cossington Smith Gallery
RSVP by QR code
Artist Talk 11am Saturday 28th March
Gosford Regional Art Gallery & Edogawa Commemorative Garden, 34 Web St East Gosford, open 9.30-4pm daily
you are invited to
Sydney Printmakers exhibition
UNCERTAIN SANCTUARY
to be opened 2pm Saturday 7th March
by Katherine Roberts Senior Curator, Exhbitions & Collections Manly Art Gallery and Museum
with Artist Talks at 1pm
at the Garden Gallery, enter via Reception Royal Botanical Gardens Mrs Macquaries Road
4-15th March 2026, 10am-4pm daily
‘UNCERTAIN SANCTUARY’ Contemplation, reflection and protection.
An exhibition of recent works linking the artist’s studio and the making process with gardens and their nurture.
The concept of sanctuary is not just about physical space but also an inner refuge where ideas take root and flourish. Gardens, with their cycles of growth and decay, mirror the creative process itself, where inspiration arises from contemplation and perseverance. Similarly, the studio becomes a sacred ground, a sanctuary where the artist can retreat, reflect, and transform thoughts into tangible forms. This interplay between the natural world and the creative spirit is a testament to the enduring power of solitude and the focus on our artistic adventures.
The artist’s studio parallels Virginia Wolf’s concept of ‘A Room of One’s Own’ and serves as a sanctuary akin to a garden, awaiting to be nurtured with profound thought and creativity. The desire to isolate to concentrate and muse on how to make something that expresses a reality without necessarily being realist in form, is an ongoing imaginative project. Close observation of nature through drawing, photography, printmaking and painting is where the landscape is literally captured and taken back to the studio/sanctuary often to be mulled over and refined or otherwise referred to obliquely with unusual materials, methods and interpretations of the selected environment.
Even if the studio adopts a more industrial and factory-like appearance, such as a print workshop, it frequently includes a reserved and secluded area within its walls or a park or garden nearby, for contemplation and research. The intersecting of print media with the nuances of landscape and our natural world has attracted some key Australian artists such as Janet Laurence, Simryn Gill and Fiona Hall. They all use some form of print media to create their works. From nature printing, projections, sculpture and videos as well as works on paper. Print media allows for the layering, folding and pressing of ideas onto paper and other large-scale materials to create new and imaginative ways to reflect on our natural world.
These exhibited works are by members of the Sydney Printmakers Inc. who have responded to the idea of sanctuary as a space to think, dream and make, and the many and various methods of print-based practise that exists in contemporary art in 2026.
Many print media artists across Australia are members of the Print Council of Australia. The PCA celebrates its 60th year in 2026 as the leading advocate for print media, nationally. There is a strong connection between the Melbourne based PCA and the Sydney Printmakers who have already celebrated their 60thanniversary and have been working collaboratively since the 1960s. This exhibition celebrates the connections between these two organisations and the longevity of both.
Therese Kenyon
Congratulations to Sydney Printmaker member Nathalie Gautier-Hartog on being selected finalist to the Alice Prize 2026, with her work Margaret River.
The Alice Prize is an acquisitive national contemporary prize that celebrates artists working in any medium or theme from across the nation.
A biennial prize at Araluen Cultural Precint, Alice Springs, March 27 to June 8 2026
Vale Steven Patterson
16th December 1966 – 28th December 2025
It is with sadness that we share the passing of Steven Patterson after a six month battle with non- Hodgkin lymphoma.
Steven was a much-loved supporter of Waverley Woollahra Art School and a respected member of the Sydney arts community. While many knew him as the owner of Matisse Derivan paint company, to us he was someone who quietly gave his time, energy, and generosity to ensure the school and its community continued to thrive. As Chair from 1998 to 2003, he helped guide the Centre during a difficult period which played a vital role in securing the schools future.
Steven’s support for the arts extended far beyond our school. He generously donated to many art prizes, Waverley Art Prize being just one of these and he encouraged emerging artists. He championed music both as a member and a participant of the Scots College Pipes and Drums Band, supporting their journey to the Edinburgh Festival.
He was an artist in his own right, his last show at the CBD Gallery October 2024, exhibiting drypoint etchings of his beloved Scotland and Glasgow.
On a personal level, I will miss our conversations and collaborations, especially during lockdown, when we worked closely on new etching ideas and shared many moments of creative connection.
Our thoughts are with his wife Justine, daughter Isobel , son David, and all his friends.Paddo’s kindness, creativity, and quiet dedication will be deeply missed.
Robert Ives
Waverley Woollahra Art School
Here are more memories and tributes to Paddo, see the links https://launcestonartcentre.com.au/blog/vale-paddo
Jacky Cheng, …that awaits at the end of life, 2022, Kozo papers, joss papers, organic fibres, natural and synthetic paper fibres, National Works on Paper 2024 install, photo: Kinfolk Imagery
National Works on Paper (NWOP) is one of Australia’s most prestigious acquisitive awards. A biennial exhibition, its role is to support and promote contemporary Australian artists working on or with paper.
With a long and rich history, National Works on Paper attracts leading contemporary artists from across Australia working in the fields of drawing, printmaking, digital prints and paper sculpture.
Recent winners include d Harding, Anna Hoyle, Annika Romeyn, James Tylor & Laura Wills, Daniel O’Shane, Jess Johnson, Laith McGregor, Richard Lewer, Danie Mellor, Gareth Sansom, Paul Boston, Lisa Roet and eX de Medici.
Mornington Penisular Regional Gallery
National Works on Paper 2026
Up to $50,000 acquisitions and awards
Entries closed Friday 20 March
Exhibition dates Saturday 5 Sept – Sunday 22 Nov 2026
Framed works will be displayed using D-rings. No other hanging devices are to be attached to the works. Unframed works will be displayed using pins or magnetic ‘pins’. Artists should supply instructions with their work where appropriate.
There is no size restrictions for entry, but note that display wall height is 3.8 metres.
more info https://mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Exhibitions/National-Works-on-Paper/National-Works-on-Paper-2026
The PCA Print Commission offers major promotional and professional development opportunities for commissioned artists. Many public galleries and institutions along with private collectors purchase PCA commissioned prints and build their collection of works on paper on a yearly basis. Commissioned prints are also included in the PCA Print Archive 1967-present; the Canson Australia and State Library Victoria collections. Judges to be confirmed soon.
KEY DATES 2026
28/2/26 – APPLICATIONS CLOSE
15/3/26 – SHORTLISTED ARTISTS NOTIFIED - up to
ten artists are shortlisted
1/5/26 – SHORTLISTED ARTISTS SUBMIT BON À TIRER (Proof print that would be commissioned)
1/9/26 – ARTIST EDITIONS DUE AT PCA
PCA pay an artist’s fee of $1000 to each selected artist (Ex GST).
for more information
https://www.printcouncil.org.au/print-commission-entries-2026/
submissions are open for International Art Prize for painting, printmaking and drawing
Works on paper need to be framed
entries close 11 February
ENTRY FEE £6.50
First Prize
£6,000 + £2,000 art materials
Jackson’s Choice Awards (x5)
£1,000 art materials each
Judge’s Choice Awards (x6)
£1,000 art materials each
People’s Choice Award
£1,000 art materials
Acquisitive Award $20,000
for the Burwood Council Collection. This year also marks an exciting new partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art.
THEME: I AM HERE
Celebrating Cultural Narratives and Perspectives.
The 2026 theme I AM HERE invites artists to consider ideas of presence, identity and place in their work. It acknowledges the role of cultural identity, lived experience and community in contemporary multicultural Australia and will guide the selection and presentation of works in the 2026 Burwood Art Prize exhibition.
Artists are encouraged to interpret this statement as an invitation to explore how art can facilitate dialogue and connect audiences with the different experiences that inform our sense of community.
Entries close 5pm Monday 16 March
exhibition dates 25 May-8 June
works on paper max size 100x100cm including frame