Flying Arts has announced its 2026 Annual Programme, delivering an expansive calendar of professional development, exhibitions, awards, education initiatives and regional touring opportunities designed to strengthen Queensland’s visual arts sector from the ground up.
For more than 55 years, Flying Arts has championed artists and communities across regional and remote Queensland, working to reduce barriers to arts participation while creating meaningful opportunities for creative practice, professional growth and cultural exchange.
The 2026 program places a strong emphasis on professional development, offering artists access to one-on-one creative consultations, hands-on workshops, webinars, expert panel discussions, educator programs and networking events throughout Queensland. Artists will have opportunities to connect directly with leading curators, gallery directors and arts professionals from institutions including Bundaberg Regional Gallery, Rockhampton Museum of Art, Artspace Mackay and Jan Manton Gallery.
One of the year’s major highlights is the Queensland Regional Art Awards (QRAA), Australia’s largest regional visual art awards prize pool. Open to artists living outside the Brisbane City Council boundary, the awards celebrate both emerging and established practitioners, with finalists exhibited in Brisbane before touring across regional Queensland. Entries open on 10 August, close on 18 September, finalists are announced on 14 October, and winners revealed on 26 November.
Throughout 2026, Flying Arts will also present an extensive exhibition program showcasing outstanding regional talent. Solo exhibitions include presentations by Alison McDonald, Sam Matthews (Moo), Charmaine Davis, Rosie Lloyd-Gibblett, and an Environmental Art Award exhibition by Christina Lowry, alongside the Emerging Artist Group Exhibition and the Mervyn Moriarty Landscape Exhibition. Additional Brisbane presentations will bring regional artists to metropolitan audiences through exhibitions at venues including Land Street Gallery, 1 William Street, and the Consolidated Properties Group.
Regional touring remains central to the organisation’s mission, with exhibitions and public programs travelling to Cairns, Mackay, St George, Longreach, Townsville and Winton, strengthening connections between artists and communities throughout the state.
Education also features prominently in the 2026 program. Flying Arts will continue delivering professional learning for teachers, artist-led classroom resources, online learning tools and school subscription programs, alongside its By Request initiative, which offers customised workshops and arts projects tailored to schools, community groups and organisations across Queensland.
The 2026 Annual Programme reflects Flying Arts’ ongoing commitment to fostering creative careers, supporting regional artists and ensuring high-quality visual arts experiences remain accessible across Queensland.
For artists, educators and arts organisations looking to expand their practice or connect with the wider Queensland arts community, the 2026 Flying Arts programme offers one of the state’s most comprehensive annual calendars of opportunities.
