Australia’s most prestigious art prize, the Archibald Prize, is hitting a major milestone this year, having presented a staggering century’s worth of portraits of celebrities, politicians, artists, sports stars and more.
To mark this glorious centenary, the Art Gallery of NSW is hitting the road and heading to Geelong Gallery with blockbuster exhibition Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize. Tracing the changing face of the nation by presenting some of the most memorable portraits from across the years, the thematic show also delves into the backroom drama, warts and all. You’ll be able to find out juicy goss on all the controversies, triumphs and near misses from the past 100 years.
Geelong Gallery has the honour of being the only Victorian venue to host the Archie 100, with Geelong mayor, Stephanie Asher, expecting the exhibition to draw big crowds. "Following Geelong Gallery’s successful presentation of RONE in Geelong, the city is delighted to support Archie 100 through Geelong Major Events and looks forward to welcoming a forecast 80,000 people to the region," Asher said.
Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize is on at Geelong Gallery from November 6, 2021 until February 20, 2022. Tickets are available now.