About
The Western Downs Regional Artists’ Exhibition is an annual exhibition proudly presented by Western Downs Regional Council, supported by the Western Downs Galleries Committee represented by Gallery 107 @ Dalby, Lapunyah Art Gallery, Dogwood Crossing, Miles.
This Year's Theme
The theme ‘Ritual and Revelry‘ invites artists to celebrate the duality of the human experience and bring together these two contrasting forces that coexist in everyday life. From the ordered and the wild, the everyday rhythms and the liberating moments, artists that live and/or work on the Western Downs can explore this human experience in their medium of choice.
In 2026, the exhibition offers a total prize pool of $3800, with four Category Prizes, Young Artist Merit Award, and People’s Choice Award. The exhibition will feature on Western Downs Arts as a Gallery and 3D virtual exhibition, and on show from 5 September to 28 October at Gallery 107 Dalby.
Ritual & Revelry
Life moves in rhythms: solemn and ecstatic, ordered and wild. Bringing together two contrasting forces, Ritual and Revelry invites artists to explore through their medium of choice artworks that respond to our deepest instincts: to gather, to celebrate, to connect and to seek meaning in the human experience.
Ritual binds us to time and tradition. Across cultures and generations, rituals have anchored communities, marking life’s milestones and offering solace in times of uncertainty. It is the quiet gesture, the sacred mark, the regular rhythm that holds things together. Whether it is spiritual, communal or personal, rituals embody continuity, structure, and the sacred, shaping identities and collective memory.
In contrast, revelry offers moments of exuberance, joy, liberty and transformation. It can present with an eruption of colour and sound, a total dissolution of boundaries, a surrender to freedom and play. It is laughter spilling into the night, bodies moving in unison, the ecstatic moment where individuality dissolves into collective joy.
As an artist consider and celebrate how Ritual and Revelry coexist in everyday life, how they offer spaces for healing, belonging, and self-expression, and how they continue to shape the duality of the human experience in contemporary society.
How to Enter
Entries are due by close of business Monday 6 July 2026.
Each artwork to be submitted must have completed the online entry form. Entries are limited to, 2 per artist.
* For those who require a paper entry form please call 1300 COUNCIL and a paper copy will be arranged. Paper copies can be handed in person to one of the Customer Service Centres, or scanned and emailed to arts@wrdc.qld.gov.au.
Entry Fee
The non-refundable fee per entry is $25, or $5 for students aged 14 to 18, and must be paid prior or upon delivery of artwork (see below).
Entry fees can be paid in person at a Customer Service Centre or by credit card over the phone by calling 1300 COUNCIL.
Categories
Entries can be submitted to one of four (4) categories:
- Painting: Oils, acrylic, mixed media and watercolour
- Works on paper: Any work on paper substrate including but not limited to pen, pencil, ink, collage, mixed media (excludes watercolour, see painting category)
- Photography and new media art: Any photographic works either digital or analogue including new media art
- 3D works: Including but not limited to ceramics, sculpture, installation, assemblage, textiles, and woodwork.
TO NOTE: Maximum overall artwork dimensions are: 2D works 550mm x 650mm (W x H); 3D works 300mm x 300mm x 500mm (W x D x H). TV displays are available for video art, screen size subject to availability.
Prizes
Category Prizes
$500 for first place and $300 for second place will be awarded in each of the four categories: Painting; Works on paper, Photography and new media art, and 3D works.
Open to all artists.
People’s Choice Award
$200 voucher as the result of a public ballot counted at the end of the exhibition. All artists are eligible.
Youth Merit Award
$400 prize and merit certificate. Awarded to an eligible emerging young artist aged between 14 and 21 years.
Kindly Supported By
Key Dates
Entries Close
Monday 6 July 2026, 5.00pm.
One entry form per artwork. Non-refundable entry fee $25 per artwork ($5 for students aged 18 and under).
Delivery of artwork
On or before 6 July 2026, 5.00pm.
Delivery can be made in person or by private agent to Dogwood Crossing, Miles.
Dogwood Crossing, Miles
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am – 12.00pm
Dogwood Crossing, Miles
81 Murilla Street, Miles Qld 4415
Or by:
Regional Collection
This service is FREE. All entries must be packed carefully for transport and delivered to the locations below. No artwork will be accepted outside times indicated.
Chinchilla
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Chinchilla Customer Service Centre
80-86 Heeney Street, Chinchilla Qld 4413
Dalby
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Dalby Corporate Office
30 Marble Street, Dalby Qld 4405
Jandowae
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 4.00pm
22 George Street, Jandowae Qld 4410
Tara
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 4.00pm
19 Fry Street, Tara Qld 4421
Wandoan
Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 12.00pm and 1:15pm – 4.00pm
6 Henderson Road, Wandoan Qld 4419
Collection of Artwork
Pick-up from Gallery 107 Dalby between 9:00am and 2:00pm on Thursday 29 October 2026.
Pick-up from Dogwood Crossing, Miles in person or by private agent, between 9:00am and 5:00pm from Monday 2 November 2026.
Or by arrangement with WDRC for regional collection point pick up (except sold artworks).
Exhibition Opening
5.30pm, Saturday 5 September 2026 at Gallery 107 Dalby – 23 Marble Street, Dalby Qld 4405.