VAS Spring Select Exhibition 2026
3 Sep 2026 – 20 Sep 2026
Official Opening Event 5 September 7pm
Location: Frater, McCubbin & Hammond Galleries
The VAS Spring Select Exhibition marks the third and final qualifying round for artists competing for the prestigious Hylton Mackley Artist of the Year Award.
The highly anticipated Select exhibitions showcase VAS member artists working across all mediums, with the strongest works selected to be exhibited throughout the upper galleries and eligible for peer votes toward December’s $20,000 major prize. Each of the three Select Exhibitions across the year also offers a $1,500 first prize.
There is no overarching theme for the Spring Select—rather, the focus is on presenting the very best of what VAS artists have to offer. As the selection process becomes increasingly competitive, the Spring Select promises to be a celebration of the diverse and dynamic talent within the VAS community.
Banner Image: Gaze Beyond, Hamid Abbasi, Oil on canvas
2026 Award Recipients
Judge Ben Ryan
Winner
Picnic, Jennifer Fyfe VAS
"A fabulous vibrant magic carpet ride for the eyes. Love the colours and manner of painting that feels rock solid and melt-in-your-mouth tender at the same time. Especially love that big chunky highlight on the pot."
Highly Commended
What Remains, Hamid Abbasi
"Loved the colours and the drama of it and the way the eye is drawn towards the central figure of the painting with coool use of varied textures."
Heatwave, Andrew Li
"A glorious study in light and colour. Loved particularly the colours reflected in the drapery - feels very Sorolla and also entirely its own thing at the same time."
Crystallised by a Combination of Circumstances, Anna Willis
"A very effective use of colour and design that drew my eye immediately from a distance. And the treatment of the sky is pretty bloody groovy too. when you got up close."
Nivea Men, Linda Weil VAS
"To me, the art world is often lacking of a sense of humour and I'm often drawn towards works with a little cheek or madness. Couldn't go past this little piece of crazy."
Wild Quince, Gregory R Smith VAS FVAS
"I'm always drawn to paintings where I feel like I could step into it and walk around or reach into it and pick up an object. This picture scored high on my 'grabbability' chart and the colours and composition are fabulous too."
After the Rehearsal, Keming Shen
"A fabulous dramatic pose and composition with paint application that is both very bold and very Boldini. Love it."
Cliff Study, Aireys, Chris White
"A fabulous combination of colours and bold brushstrokes. The many colours in the cliff are delectable."
Curator's Award
Still Life with Brick, Cristian Roux
"Delicate, unexpected and wonderfully embracing the dark, this small painting drew me in straight away with its character and gentle treatment of the plastic."
Curator Liz Gridley
Acknowledgment of traditional owners.
We would like to pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which our building stands, their leaders, past, present and emerging.