The nation’s most celebrated art award – the Archibald Prize 2025 – is coming to Coffs Harbour, with the finalists in the competition for portrait painting to be exhibited at the Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) from 1 August to 13 September next year.
“The Archibald Prize transcends art and finalists and winners are occasionally controversial, sparking plenty of water cooler debate,” said City of Coffs Harbour Council Mayor, Nikki Williams.
“Bringing the exhibition to our award-winning YAM is so exciting for the community, and entry will be free.”
First awarded in 1921, the Archibald Prize was established following a bequest from former Art Gallery of NSW trustee and founder of The Bulletin magazine JF Archibald, whose aim was to foster portraiture, support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians.
The open competition has been awarded annually (with two exceptions: 1964 and 1980) to the best portrait, ‘preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in arts, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’.
Entries to the Archibald Prize must be painted in the past year from at least one ‘live’ sitting. The trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW judge the entries and the winner receives $100,000.
Archibald Prize finalists are also eligible for the Packing Room Prize and the People’s Choice award.
Finalists are displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney before touring selected venues across NSW and Victoria.
“YAM will be the final port of call on the regional tour so your last chance to see the finalists in the 2025 Archibald Prize will be at Coffs Harbour,” said Council Cultural Services Team Leader, Carrie Kibbler.
“That makes the exhibition a special opportunity and we expect people to travel from across the region to see the works. There will be no charge for admission at YAM and visitors will be able to vote for their favourite work in the People’s Choice Award.”
The winner of the Archibald Prize 2025 is Julie Fragar for Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene), while the Packing Room Prize was awarded to Abdul Abdullah for No mountain high enough.
