August 2026 Newsletter

2026 Lerida Estate
Paint the Barrels Exhibition

The new stretched canvas circles for this year’s Paint the Barrels exhibition are available for purchase from the Gallery.

After two years of using wooden circles, we are stepping up the quality of the event. The new stretched canvas circles are the same size as previous years, but offer several advantages, they:

• require no surface preparation

• are lighter and easier to hang

• provide a more professional finish, which we hope will support sales

Because these canvases are more expensive, the entry fee this year has increased from $20 to $25. This fee includes both the canvas circle and entry into the exhibition, along with the chance to win some lovely prizes.

Theme

The theme is “Anything Goes”. We encourage you to think beyond the usual food‑and‑wine subjects — our most popular works often come from unexpected ideas. Let your imagination lead you and consider how the circular format might inspire your concept.

Using Last Year’s Wooden Circles

If members still have unused wooden circles from last year, they may enter them provided they paid the full $20 last year. If a member only paid $10 for the wooden circle (as the circle and exhibition entry were separate costs last year), they may still enter the work by paying the $10 exhibition entry fee this year.

Sale Price

This year the sale price for each finished artwork will remain at $150. Keeping a single, fixed price creates a genuine level playing field for all participants. Our more experienced artists effectively lend their reputation and confidence to those who are newer to exhibiting. It reinforces the spirit of the Paint the Barrels exhibition as a shared creative project, one where the focus is on community, contribution, and celebration of the diverse talent within QAS and our new Goulburn associates.

Hanging Requirement

We’ve kept the setup as simple as in previous years. There’s no need to organise any hanging mechanism — we’ve sourced hooks that attach directly to the barrels and hold the canvases securely by their wooden frames.

Your Information

Please write your name and the title of your artwork on the back, on the exposed bit of the wooden frame, with a permanent marker.

Limited Stock — First In, Best Dressed

We have ordered 60 canvas circles, and when they’re gone, that’s it.

Please also keep in mind that this year’s exhibition will be open to our new Associate Members from the Goulburn and District Art Society, so early purchase is recommended.

Oil Painters - Please ensure your paintings are dry before entering them.

Key Dates

• Exhibition opening: Thursday 8 October at 10:00 am

• Closing date for entries: 29 September 2026

Entries are OPEN for the
2027 Bald Archy Prize!

After a record breaking 2026, Australia's most outrageous satirical art competition returns to take the mickey out of the nations biggest names. 

2026 was the Bald Archy Prize's biggest year yet and you can help us make 2027 even BIGGER!
With a $10,000 first prize and the $2,000 People’s Choice Award (sponsored by Briggs Law) up for grabs, why not throw your hat in the ring? 
As always, the Bald Archy Prize is awarded to the best comic or satirical portrait of an Australian distinguished in art, science, letters, politics, sport, or the media. 

Find out more here