Art Almanac acknowledges and pays respect to the many Aboriginal nations across this land, traditional custodians, Elders past and present; in particular the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we work.

 

August 2026

Awards are on our minds each month at Art Almanac. This time, Sasha Grishin – a finalist judge for the painting award – takes us through the Percivals 2026 and the power of portraiture “to restore dignity to the human semblance.” Master works are another treat. Victoria Hynes traces the remarkable genesis of a gift in Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso at Shepparton Art Museum – defining figures of European modernism, not seen before in Australia – that has allowed us to have an André Derain on our cover.

Bronwyn Watson’s On display pick, an Édouard Vuillard colour lithograph, sits well alongside our masters – with figures against the iron of the Pont de l’Europe subverting the narrative of Paris as a great industrialised centre, turning majesty into domesticity, to paraphrase Art Gallery of South Australia’s Tansy Curtin. We enjoy more of South Australia with the maturing of our Two up series, this time the concurrent works of Tony Garifalakis and Hari Koutlakis at Hugo Michell Gallery; as Emma-Kate Wilson discovers, much is revealed coming alongside a gallery’s monthly offering. We hope you enjoy the read – this one’s for the nominees.

Art Almanac | Australia’s leading monthly guide to “what’s on” in the arts: exhibitions, events, workshops, open studios, artist opportunities, art awards and services. August 2026 features $510k+ in art prizes/funding, 640+ galleries, and 380+ artists, both emerging and established.

Contents

Editorial

Editor’s note
Editor’s pick

Feature:
Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso – Words by Victoria Hynes

Two up:
Tony Garifalakis × Hari Koutlakis, Pattern, design, impact – Words by Emma-Kate Wilson

On display:
Édouard Vuillard, On the Pont de l’Europe, 1899 – Words by Bronwyn Watson

Review:
The Percivals 2026 – Words by Sasha Grishin

Select exhibitions:
Enjoy our curated selection of must-see exhibitions across Australia this month

News:
Association of Sculptors of Victoria 2026 Annual and Awards Exhibition
Young Archie
Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize
Burwood Art Prize
Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize
Sydney Contemporary Talks

Books:
Sriwhana Spong, HA HA HA

What’s on

Gallery index
Melbourne
Victoria
Sydney
New South Wales
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Queensland
Artist index

Art & industry

Artist opportunities
Awards
Art auction houses
Submissions and proposals
Studio spaces
Materials
Services
Consultants and valuers
Member organisations
Training

Cover image:
André Derain (French, b.1880, d.1954), Paysage à l’Estaque (Estaque Landscape), 1906, oil on canvas, 54 × 65.5cm / Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Julian and Josie Robertson through the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, 2023 / Accession No 2023/6/10