Fairholme Open Art Prize - Facets

Home
Australia
East Toowoomba, QLD
Fairholme Open Art Prize - Facets

Connecting Community through Art Submit your entries here: https://forms.office.com/r/LynktKGEa9

18/05/2026

🎨👩‍🎨 A highlight of the FACETS weekend!
Our Live Portrait Competition never fails to impress - it’s incredible watching each artwork come to life in real-time, with every artist bringing their own unique perspective and style.

A huge thank you to our talented artists, Des Verdon, Elena Churilova, Alana Wilkie, Donna Mitchell, Ruben Fitton and Cindy MacDonald, and of course to our fabulous 2026 Guest Portrait Sitter, Rowena Hogan.

👏 Congratulations to Donna Mitchell, our overall winner, and to Ruben Fitton, winner of the People’s Choice Award!

13/05/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our 2026 Opening Night event ✨

Special thanks to our expert Curator, Dr Tiffany Shafran, Guest Judge, Henri van Noordenberg, our talented exhibiting artists, the dedicated FACETS committee, our generous volunteers, and our wonderful sponsors – for bringing this event to life.

Our 2026 Sponsors:
Major Sponsor: Artshop Fine Custom Picture Framing and Art Restoration
Opening Night Event Sponsor: Hogans Family Jewellers
Hangers' Prize Sponsor: Northbuild
Café Sponsor: Fairholme Old Girls
Event Sponsor: Fairholme College P&F

10/05/2026

The Supporters of the Arts (SOFA) Current Student Award - Third Place - is presented to Grace Taylor (Year 12) for her work titled, 'Entre les Murs de Montpellier'.

The Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition closes today! Don't miss out on seeing this exquisite display of more than 200 artworks.

Sunday 10 May | 10am to 2pm
Fairholme College Assembly Hall
$5pp entry fee, free for school students

☕🍰 Bring Mum along and enjoy our Mother's Day Special in the FACETS Café - Sweet Treat and Coffee for just $10.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

10/05/2026

The Supporters of the Arts (SOFA) Current Student Award - Second Place - is presented to Emily Statham (Year 12) for her artwork, 'Perched Macaw'.

'My work explores the detailed still life approach to a Golden Macaw, come to life with graphite pencils on paper. I am inspired by detailed sketches of animals where you can clearly see the nature of the creature.'

It's your last chance to catch the Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition today!

The exhibition is open from 10am to 2pm today in the Fairholme College Assembly Hall. $5pp entry fee, free for school students.

☕🍰 Bring Mum along and enjoy our Mother's Day Special in the FACETS Café - Sweet Treat and Coffee for just $10.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

09/05/2026

The Supporters of the Arts (SOFA) Current Student Award - First Place - is presented to Aria Bray (Year 11) for her piece, 'In the Gardens'.

'This piece was inspired by a photo I had found while helping my mother sort files. I loved the colours and sense of beauty within the image, as it brought me a desire to paint it.'

Don't miss out on seeing Aria's work alongside more than 200 incredible pieces on display this weekend at the Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition.

The exhibition is open from 10am to 2pm today in the Fairholme College Assembly Hall. $5pp entry fee, free for school students.

☕🍰 Bring Mum along and enjoy our Mother's Day Special in the FACETS Café - Sweet Treat and Coffee for just $10.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

09/05/2026

The Guest Judge's 'Special Commendation' Award is an additional prize that has been presented in 2026.

This prize has been awarded to Aurelie Beeston for her work, 'Interference Theory'.

This chemigram reflects the erosion and transformation of memories. Even the biggest moments in our lives can become fragmented impressions.

Unlike a traditional photograph, it is created over several days through the slow interaction of chemistry and light, it physically records how time distorts, mimicking how memories fracture and cross-fade.

See Aurelie's work along with more than 200 pieces on display this weekend at the Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition.

Exhibition open to the public:
Saturday 9 May - 10am to 4pm (Live portrait competition from 11am to 3pm)
Sunday 10 May - 10am to 2pm

Fairholme College Assembly Hall | $5pp entry fee, free for school students.
The FACETS Café will be open Saturday and Sunday during the exhibition opening hours.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

09/05/2026

Our wonderful team of volunteer artwork hangers have selected the winner of this year's Hangers' Art Prize - sponsored by Northbuild.

The 2026 winner is 'The Crossing' by Stephen Inglis .inglisart

'The Crossing, a morning in my memory, blending history with a contemporary personal reflection of a loved Toowoomba location in a soft pastel light. The scene captures a sense of enduring strength with a quiet reverence which I have often paused to embrace.'

Stephen Inglis' works are derived and inspired from travel throughout Australia, with a focus on Queensland. His paintings offer the artist and viewer the opportunity to contemplate and appreciate one’s surrounds, and possibly the history of a location by employing combinations of impressionistic atmosphere and pastel toned, semi abstract patterns.

Stephen's paintings are held in many private collections throughout Australia, and internationally. He is represented by Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane.

Don't miss the chance to view our Fairholme Open Art Prize and Junior FACETS Exhibitions this weekend:

Saturday 9 May: 10am to 4pm (Live Portrait Competition 11am to 3pm)
Sunday 10 May: 10am to 2pm

Fairholme College Assembly Hal | $5pp entry fee, free for school students.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

09/05/2026

We are so excited to announce the winner of the FACETS Mary Snow Memorial Emerging Artist Award for 2026 ...

'Sea Song' by

'Sea Song was inspired by the connection many women in my life have to the ocean. I wanted to reflect the change that we experience in our lives and bodies, and how that relates to the ocean that is never the same and is always shifting and finding new forms in itself.'

Ellenie is a nineteen year old artist creating on Kabi Kabi country on the Sunshine Coast. She started oil painting four years ago but has been creating since she was able to hold a pencil. In 2024 she had her first solo exhibition and has been represented by Aspire Gallery for the last year. She gathers her inspiration from the work of old masters, nature, the stories people have told her and childhood memories.

See Ellenie's work along with more than 200 pieces on display this weekend at the Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition.

Exhibition open to the public:
Saturday 9 May - 10am to 4pm (Live portrait competition from 11am to 3pm)
Sunday 10 May - 10am to 2pm

Fairholme College Assembly Hall | $5pp entry fee, free for school students.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

09/05/2026

The 2026 John Sessarago Acquisitive Photography Prize is awarded to Peta Berghofer for her stunning work titled, 'That funny feeling'.

‘That funny feeling’ explores the dual sensations of travel - the thrill of newness contrasted with the quiet melancholy of knowing it’s fleeting.

A ceramic frame nested within a traditional frame encloses a custom photographic ceramic decal. Their colour matched surfaces blur boundaries and function, allowing the components to read as a single object that gently questions material hierarchies.

This special art prize was a new addition in 2024, in memory of much-loved Fairholme photographer, teacher and renowned sports coach, John Sessarago (Sess).

Congratulations Peta!

Don't miss out on seeing Peta's award-winning piece, along with more than 200 incredible works, on display at the Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition this weekend.

FACETS and Junior FACETS Exhibitions Open:
Saturday 9 May - 10am to 4pm (Live Portrait Competition from 11am to 3pm)
Sunday 10 May - 10am to 2pm

Fairholme College Assembly Hall | $5pp entry fee, free for school students.

For all the details, visit → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

08/05/2026

The winner of the 2026 FACETS Inspiring Creative Acquisitive Art Prize is ...

'Drowning in Your Love (Gleaming)' by

This vase titled 'Drowning in Your Love (Gleaming)' comes from another body of recent work and plays with this idea of the amphora with it's connotations of a full vessel or a full heart.

See David's work along with more than 200 pieces on display this weekend at the Fairholme Open Art Prize FACETS Exhibition.

The exhibition is open to the public:
Saturday 9 May - 10am to 4pm (Live portrait competition from 11am to 3pm)
Sunday 10 May - 10am to 2pm

Fairholme College Assembly Hall | $5pp entry fee, free for school students.

For all the details → www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/facets

Address

40 Wirra Wirra Street
East Toowoomba, QLD
4350

Telephone

+61746882341

Website

https://www.fairholme.qld.edu.au/fairholme-open-art-prize

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Fairholme Open Art Prize - Facets posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your museum to be the top-listed Museum in East Toowoomba?

Fairholme Open Art Prize - Facets

18/05/2026

13/05/2026

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

08/05/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category