THE return of the Archibald Prize tour to the Mornington Peninsula next spring is expected to bring around 50,000 visitors to the region and inject $10 million into the local economy.
The prestigious and popular exhibition will be hosted by the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (MPRG) in 2023 for seven weeks from 15 September to 5 November.
Gallery director Danny Lacy said it was a coup for the gallery and for the region, with past experience showing there will be a flow-on impact for other businesses.
“The Archibald is hugely popular, and people come from all over the state, and other parts of the country,” he said.
“We are so excited about being selected for this, everybody likes the Archibald, whether they are art enthusiasts or not.”
Lacy said when the Archibald Prize tour came to the peninsula 10 years ago “it was a very different world”.
“This time, in order to manage numbers and ensure everyone has a great viewing experience, there will be a booking system,” he said.
MPRG is the largest public gallery in Melbourne’s south east and Lacy said it was the perfect fit for the Archibald tour, with museum standard lighting, temperature control and staffing capacity.
The Archibald entries are Judged by trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, with the prize awarded to the best portrait painting. Since 1921, it has highlighted figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 4 October 2022
