Budding artists from the Central West, between the ages of 5 and 18 are invited to submit a portrait for the Young Archie Central West competition, as part of the 2018 Archibald Prize regional tour to Orange Regional Gallery.

The portrait should be of a person who is special to them - someone who is known to them and plays an important role in their life. Portraits will be exhibited alongside the Archibald Prize 2018 winner when it tours to Orange from February 9 to April 10.

Public Engagement and Education Officer for the Orange Regional Art Gallery Cecilie Knowles is looking forward to the competition and the talent that comes out of the Central West.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get creative during the school holidays. Selected works will be exhibited at the Gallery and there are prizes to be won in each age category. There will be a special combined exhibition opening for the Archibald Prize 2018 and the Young Archie Competition on Friday February 8.

“The competition is a celebration of the creative diversity and showcasing the work of artists from across our region. It is an opportunity for young people in the local community to see their artwork hanging in their local Gallery. The opening will be a wonderful opportunity for young artists to invite family and friends along to see their work and will include free, supervised art-making activities for children K-6. Everyone is invited,” said Cecilie.

The Young Archie is a national competition run by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It was started in 2013 to encourage the next generation of young artists. The Art Gallery of New South Wales encourages regional galleries to run their own version of the Young Archie so that as many children as possible get the chance to see their work hanging in their local Gallery.

Portraits should be on A3 sized paper, heavier weight paper is best, and unmounted/unframed. Any art materials may be used such as paint, pencil, pastels, paper, and collage but the artwork must be two-dimensional.

There is still plenty of time to be involved! Applications are open until January 27. Information and application forms can be collected from the Gallery or downloaded from their website here: https://org.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/