2026 Art Exhibition - Belong

Painting by Jaya Sharma, features bus stop with several birds.

City of Whittlesea’s Belong: 2026 Art Exhibition celebrates the creativity and stories of 176 local artists, making it the largest exhibition in the program’s history.

Showcasing 245 artworks across a wide range of mediums, the exhibition explores what belonging means through personal experiences, culture, identity and connection to community. Artists aged from 6 to 92 years share unique perspectives through painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, mosaics, glasswork and more.

Judged by Mayor Cr Lawrie Cox, Director Community Wellbeing Agata Chmielewski and guest judge Jaycob Campbell, the exhibition recognises outstanding creativity, originality and emerging talent while continuing to celebrate the rich artistic diversity of the City of Whittlesea community.

2026 Award recipients

City of Whittlesea Mayoral Art Award

Rosemary Lugg, Fragments

Rosemary was thrilled to win the overall prize. “I did not even know there were awards as part of the exhibition”.

She said about her artwork “For me a sense of belonging is not built by people thinking alike but is built and enriched by the multitude of every individual’s unique experiences. The images in my artwork are fragments from my life that contribute to the tapestry of my life and my sense of belonging.”

The judges were impressed by the overall impact, creativity and execution of Rosemary’s work.

Award of Excellence – Use of materials

Beverly Neylon, Beauty of the Wind

Beverley is in her 90’s and in her heyday exhibited widely, winning numerous awards for her delicate and detailed painted porcelain work. The judges thought this work demonstrated exceptional skill in the handling and use of materials.

Beverly’s artistic skills have had generational impact – her daughter, grand son and 2 great grandchildren also had works in the exhibition. Her grandson Tim accepted the award on her behalf. “My family is so proud to have 4 generations represented in this exhibition”.

Award of Excellence – Originality

Kylie Gentle, The Large Elephant Buddha of Kindness

This award celebrates artworks that offer a unique perspective, demonstrating fresh thinking and a distinctive creative approach.

Youth Award

Plenty River College Students, BELONG
(Shakira, Ali, Ella, Dakotah, Faye, Morgan, Izzy S, Jeremy, Henry, Madi, Aaron, Livi, Noah, Jeena, Loukas, Sammy, Ollie, Ben, Emma, Christian, Quil, Lyla, Alanah, with support from artist Gay Chatfield)

The individual works of dry felting were displayed collectively and the statement read:

"At Plenty River College, belonging means being seen, accepted and valued for who you are. For many of our students, finding PRC has been a turning point — a place where they feel safe, supported and understood. Here, individuality is embraced, strengths are nurtured, and every student is given the space to grow with confidence. To belong at PRC is to know that you matter, that your voice is heard, and that you are part of a community that stands beside you, always."