What to expect at Cairns Art Society’s 76th anniversary exhibition

With more than 60 artworks on display, Cairns Art Society is gearing up for its biggest exhibition of the year. This is what you can expect. FREE TO READ

Cairns Arts Society secretary and artist Joanne Bingham will feature four artworks at the Cairns Art Society 76th anniversary exhibition opening on February 2. Picture: Catherine Duffy.

With more than 60 artworks on display, Cairns Art Society is gearing up for its biggest exhibition of the year.

Almost 50 Far North Queensland artists will showcase the best of their portfolios at the Cairns Art Gallery from February 2 to February 25.

Cairns Art Gallery curator Kylie Burke said the event was expected to attract one of the society’s largest crowds of the year on opening night.

“Usually the artists and their friends will turn up and draw a pretty big crowd, we have 48 displaying artists this year. Most of the sponsors will be there to give out prizes and there will be an open bar upstairs,” Ms Burke said.

Cairns Arts Society secretary Joanne Bingham and Cairns Art Gallery curator Kylie Burke get ready for the Cairns Art Society 76th anniversary exhibition opening on February 2. Picture: Catherine Duffy.

While the event is free, Ms Burke encouraged those wanting to attend to RSVP through the gallery website.

“We don’t tick off names, but we need to know what numbers to expect. It will be a fairly big exhibition and fairly eclectic because everybody’s working to their own medium strengths and subject matter so it’s a very mixed exhibition,” she said.

Artist and 2023 Cairns Arts Society awards finalist Joanne Bingham said she was looking forward to the event.

“It can be very isolating when you’re an artist working alone in your studio, but when you come to something like this, you realise you’re actually part of a much bigger community. So it’s really nice on those occasions that we all get together to acknowledge each other’s talents and skills,” Ms Bingham said.

Originally published as What to expect at Cairns Art Society’s 76th anniversary exhibition