The Archibald Prize is Australia's leading portraiture competition and arguably the country's most famous art prize – but you don't need to go to Sydney to see it. Every year the prize goes on a regional tour, heading to towns and cities across Australia to allow as many people as possible to view the year's best portraits.
In 2021, the Archibald Prize's regional tour is headed to Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale, which has the honour of being the only Victorian venue to host the exhibition. From October 8 to November 21, Victorians are invited into the gallery to explore all 52 finalists from this year's prize, which is noted for being the first year that there has been gender parity in finalist cohort (the 2021 prize also received the second highest number of entries ever, with 928 works submitted for consideration).
The exhibition will allow you to see this year's winning painting – Peter Wegner's portrait of previous Archibald-winning artist Guy Warren – as well as Kathrin Longhurst's Packing Room Prize-winning portrait of Kate Ceberano and the People's Choice winning self-portrait from Melbourne-based artist Julia Ciccarone.
The Archibald Prize can be viewed at Gippsland Art Gallery from October 8 to November 21. Sessions are timed so it's a good idea to book your tickets in advance to avoid being turned away.
