Thank You for Making the 2026 Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition Such a Success

What an incredible four days!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition another outstanding celebration of creativity, community and local talent.

Now in its third year, the exhibition welcomed hundreds of visitors to the Whitsunday Sailing Club, where they experienced 85 finalist artworks by 66 artists responding to this year's theme, Beyond Beauty.

From paintings and photography to sculpture and mixed media, the exhibition showcased the depth and diversity of artistic talent across the Whitsundays and beyond.

Celebrating Our Artists

Congratulations once again to all our finalists and award winners. The standard of work this year was exceptional, making the exhibition one of the strongest yet.

We were especially pleased to introduce the Next Generation Artist Award, recognising emerging artists aged 16 to 18, and the Community Creativity Award, celebrating the inspiring collaborative works created by local community organisations.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors also cast their votes for the Bendigo Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine People's Choice Award, continuing one of the exhibition's most valued traditions - recognising the artwork that connects most strongly with our community.

Thank You to Our Judge & Curatorial Panel

Selecting the finalists and major award winners was no easy task.

Our sincere thanks to exhibition judge Glenda Hobdell, whose thoughtful assessment recognised excellence across every category, and to our curatorial panel - Glenda Vickers, Cr Jan Clifford OAM and Caz Hanks - who carefully reviewed every entry before selecting this year's finalists.

Their time, expertise and generosity helped shape an exhibition of exceptional quality.

Behind the Scenes

Events like this are only possible through the dedication of many people working behind the scenes.

Thank you to the Creative Connections Whitsundays Committee, our volunteers and exhibition team who planned, installed, staffed and packed down the exhibition. Your countless hours of work created a welcoming and professional experience for artists and visitors alike.

Thank you also to the Whitsunday Sailing Club for once again hosting the exhibition as part of the Great Barrier Reef Festival.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors and partners, whose investment in the arts continues to create opportunities for local artists and enrich our community.

Thank you to:

Whitsunday Regional Council

Whitsunday Sailing Club

Tassal Seafood

Vision Surveys

Sunbird Electrical

Ray White Whitsunday

Airlie Allied Health

Bendigo Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine

R & K Kenyon

Heart Hotel & Gallery Whitsundays

The Brown Family Trust

Great Barrier Reef Festival

Together with our raffle prize sponsors:

James Stickland Art

Above & Below Gallery

Pink Tank Studios

Smart Arts

Gems Artistic Creations

Looking Ahead

The Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition continues to grow each year because of the artists who enter, the volunteers who give their time, the sponsors who believe in the value of the arts, and the thousands of visitors who come through the doors to experience the exhibition.

To everyone who exhibited, volunteered, visited, voted, purchased artwork or raffle tickets, or simply encouraged an artist along the way - thank you.

Together, you're helping build a stronger, more connected and more vibrant creative community across the Whitsundays.

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2027.

View the full list of finalists »