Discover the 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition in Campbelltown, showcasing local artists from 27 June–13 September 2026 alongside Fisher’s Ghost Art Award entries.
As winter settles across Sydney’s south-west, Campbelltown Arts Centre will once again become a place where stories are told without words. Across its galleries, paintings, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and mixed-media works will quietly reveal personal histories, shared memories and the creative pulse of a region that has long nurtured artists at every stage of their journey.
The 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition will invite visitors to slow their pace and spend time with works shaped by observation, craftsmanship and lived experience. More than an exhibition, it will continue a tradition that has connected artists, audiences and community for decades, offering an intimate portrait of Campbelltown through the hands of those who call it home.
The 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition Continues A Proud Tradition
The 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition will reflect more than four decades of artistic collaboration between Campbelltown Arts Centre and the Friends of Campbelltown Arts Centre. Founded in 1982 by local artists and community members, the Friends organisation was established with the vision of creating a dedicated public gallery for the region.
That vision became reality in 1988 with the opening of Campbelltown Arts Centre, yet the annual exhibition had already begun building its own legacy. Initially presented in various locations throughout Campbelltown, the exhibition has continued uninterrupted, evolving alongside the city's growing cultural identity.
Today, the Friends Annual remains an opportunity for members to exhibit and sell their work while introducing audiences to the remarkable diversity of artistic practice flourishing across the Macarthur region.
This year's exhibition is expected to feature 127 artworks, spanning a broad range of techniques, materials and perspectives. Together they will form a richly layered collection that reflects both individual expression and collective creativity.
A Closer Look Through Focus
Running alongside the larger exhibition, the Focus exhibition will narrow the lens to a single artistic voice.
For 2026, artist Zara Collins will present an exhibition examining the fragile nature of memory and the stories inherited through childhood. Rather than relying on grand narratives, Collins will draw attention to everyday objects that quietly accumulate emotional significance over time.
Working with porcelain, ceramics and Kozo paper, her sculptures and installations will transform familiar textile forms and personal clothing into delicate vessels of remembrance. Marks of repair, repeated use and careful preservation will become central themes, suggesting that objects often carry histories as vividly as photographs or written records.
The contrast between fragile materials and enduring memories promises to create an exhibition that rewards careful observation, encouraging visitors to linger and discover new details with each viewing.
The 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition Reflects Campbelltown's Creative Community
One of the enduring strengths of the 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition lies in its sense of place.
Unlike exhibitions built around a single theme or curated collection, the Friends Annual will present an authentic cross-section of local creative practice. Visitors may encounter landscapes inspired by the surrounding bushland, abstract explorations of identity, finely crafted ceramics, experimental mixed-media works or deeply personal reflections on family and belonging.
The variety of styles is part of its appeal.
Each artwork offers another perspective on life in Western Sydney, creating a conversation between artists whose experiences differ yet remain connected through geography and community.
For returning visitors, the exhibition will also provide an opportunity to see familiar artists developing their practice while discovering emerging voices exhibiting publicly for the first time.
Looking Ahead To The Fisher's Ghost Art Award
The momentum generated by the Friends Annual will continue into one of Australia's longest-running regional art awards.
Following the exhibition, entries for the prestigious Fisher's Ghost Art Award will close at 11.59pm on Monday, 27 July 2026, ahead of the exhibition opening later in September.
Now entering its 64th year, the award has established an impressive reputation within Australia's contemporary art landscape. More than $60,000 in prize money will be awarded across multiple categories, including the highly regarded acquisitive Open Award valued at $50,000.
Over its long history, the award has recognised many of Australia's leading contemporary artists, with winning works becoming part of Campbelltown City Council's permanent art collection.
For emerging artists, established practitioners and audiences alike, the award represents another chapter in Campbelltown's ongoing commitment to supporting contemporary visual arts.
An Invitation To Experience Local Creativity
There is something quietly rewarding about visiting an exhibition that grows directly from its community.
The 2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition will not simply display finished artworks; it will reveal years of practice, experimentation and dedication. Every painting, ceramic piece, textile work and sculpture will represent countless hours spent refining ideas into tangible form.
Visitors will move between galleries filled with different voices, each contributing to a broader portrait of Campbelltown's cultural landscape. Some works may prompt reflection, others curiosity or recognition, but together they will demonstrate how local exhibitions continue to play an important role in preserving creative communities.
As the seasons gradually shift from winter towards spring, the galleries will offer a quiet space to pause, observe and connect with the people and stories that shape one of Sydney's most vibrant artistic regions.
Whether discovering a favourite artist or encountering an unfamiliar perspective for the first time, visitors will leave with a deeper appreciation of the creativity that continues to flourish in Campbelltown.
Event Details
2026 Friends Annual and Focus Exhibition
Dates: 27 June – 13 September 2026
Venue: Campbelltown Arts Centre, 1 Art Gallery Road, Campbelltown NSW 2560
Opening Hours: During Campbelltown Arts Centre gallery opening hours
Fisher's Ghost Art Award
Entries Close: 11:59pm, Monday 27 July 2026
Exhibition Dates: Saturday 26 September – Friday 4 December 2026
Official Website: https://www.campbelltownartscentre.com.au/Whats-On/Exhibitions/2026-Fishers-Ghost-Art-Award/Entries-Open-2026-Fishers-Ghost-Art-Award