It’s an exciting time for artists in Campbelltown, as the 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition celebrates local talent at the same times as entries are about to close for this year’s $50,000 Fisher’s Ghost art award.
The Friends exhibition in Campbelltown arts centre opened on June 27 and will finish up September 13.
Entries to Fisher’s Ghost art award close midnight on Monday, July 27. Exhibition of finalists and winners entries from September 26 and until December 4.
The Friends Annual and Focus exhibitions present an eclectic display of artworks by the Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre and is a must see for arts fans who would like to check out the local scene.
Featuring a range of styles and mediums, the Friends Annual provides a unique opportunity to witness the rich artistic talent that the region has to offer.
Complementary to the Friends Annual, the Focus exhibition highlights the work of one artist or collective from the Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre and provides an in-depth look at their practice.
This year’s Focus artist is Zara Collins, who examines the unstable nature of memory, and the stories inherited in childhood.
“I explore these ideas through everyday objects, familiar textile forms and personal clothing that carry intimate histories of care, collection, repetitive use and repair,’’ says the artist.
“Working with porcelain, ceramics and Kozo paper, these works hold impressions of touch and time, balancing delicacy with persistence.”
The Friends Annual Exhibition is brought to the Campbelltown community through the generous support of local advocates, the Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre.
The Friends were founded in 1982 by a group of artists and community members with the vision of establishing an art gallery in Campbelltown.
The gallery was completed in 1988 and has grown considerably since then.
The Friends held Friends Annual exhibitions at various locations across Campbelltown before the gallery – now the Campbelltown arts centre – opened, and have continued presenting their annual exhibition ever since.
Friends members were invited to submit artwork for exhibition , providing them with the opportunity to showcase and sell their work.
“The exhibition has grown immensely since the early days,’’ says Joan Long, currently the treasurer of Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre Inc, and indeed one of the early Friends pioneers.
“This year we have 127 entries, and the artistic merit of submissions from our members has continued to impress audiences each year.”
