TO mark the National Portrait Gallery’s twentieth anniversary as an institution, 20 portraits of outstanding Australian individuals have been commissioned for a permanent collection. They will feature in “20/20”, at the NPG from October 20 to February 10.

JAMES Meyer, the curator at National Gallery of Art in Washington will deliver the keynote address at the “American Masters” symposium, “Minimalist/Maximalist”, James O Fairfax Theatre, NGA, October 19-20. Details and bookings to nga.gov.au

WORKS by Thornton Walker, who has an interest in the dynamics of composition, perspective and spatial depth, are currently on show at Beaver Galleries. Catherine Woo, is also exhibiting her art, which explores the interrelationship between humans and the natural environment with her delicate, detailed and abstract forms. She draws similarities and connections between the human experience and environment. At 81 Denison Street, Deakin, 10am-5pm, Tuesday to Friday, and then 9am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday, until November 4. The official opening is at 6pm, Thursday, October 18. All welcome.

JUDE Cirillo’s Strathnairn exhibition is a celebration of spring and all things new as she experiments with less traditional methods of image making. Opening by artist and printmaker Jo Hollier, 2pm, Sunday, October 21. It’ll then continue until November 11.

SCULPTURE by the Sea, Bondi is billed as the world’s largest annual, free-to-the-public, outdoor sculpture exhibition. It launches at Marks Park, Tamarama at 11am, Thursday, October 18. It’ll run for more than three weeks and feature more than 100 sculptures.

M16 ARTSPACE is opening four new exhibitions including “Bloom”, which will show digital images by Jodie Cunningham, “Feet on the Ground”, an exhibition of small textiles and mixed media works by Lucile Carson and Ruth Higston, an exhibition of paintings, drawings and photographs by Martin Paull and Brenton McGeachie, and, in Chutespace, “Bouquet of Leaves” by Paula Watson. All four exhibitions will open at 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, 6pm, Thursday, October 18, until November 4. All welcome. 

IN Lanyon’s spring walk and talk, curator of “The Soldier Settlers of Tuggeranong”, Jenny Horsfield, will give a talk about the eight men who took up land on the former Cunningham property of Tuggeranong, and about their struggles in the inter-war years. The talk runs at Lanyon Homestead from 11am–12pm, Sunday, October 21, and then runs from 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Sunday, until November 11. The talk needs to be booked by Thursday at eventbrite.com.au

QUEANBEYAN–Palerang Regional Council Arts Trail is so huge this year that they’re running it over two weekends. The first takes in Queanbeyan, Captain’s Flat and Bungendore and runs 10am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday, October 20-21. Maps for the trail can be found at visit queanbeyan.com.au/qprc-arts-trail

FORM Gallery has two new exhibitions: “Breathing the Bones” an exhibition of sculptures and drawings by Sally Simpson; and Alison McKay’s “Glass Works”, still life oil paintings. Opening by Richard Morecroft at 30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan East, at 6pm, Friday, October 19, but the exhibitions run from October 17 to November 4. 

THE National Museum of Australia’s Lily Withycombe, an expert on Rome, will talk about the design of “Rome: City and Empire”, an exhibition now at the NMA. She will also address the reasons for her enduring interest in ancient Rome. Larry Sitsky Room in the ANU School of Music, 6.30pm, Thursday, October 16.

“SEEN and Foreseen” is artist Alex Lundy’s response to the 1962 film “La Jetée” by Chris Marker, which focuses on the way time can be conveyed within a static image using methods of screen-printing and large digitally manipulated drawings. Opening at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 19 Furneaux Street, Manuka, 6pm, Thursday, October 18. The show continues until October 28, 11am-5pm, Thursday to Sunday.

BUNGENDORE Wood Works is now celebrating its 35th year in partnership with the Australian Wood Review Magazine, which is celebrating its 100th issue. Together they’re staging the exhibition “Studio Furniture” at Bungendore Wood Works Gallery from October 20 to January 31.

PHOTOACCESS presents three new exhibitions exploring portraiture, relationships and the environment, to opened by Virginia Rigney from Canberra Museum + Gallery at 6pm, on Thursday, October 18. The three exhibitions include: “Moment”, by Mark Mohell, “The Fall 2017-2018”, by David Rosendale and “Points of Contact” by Joshua Thomas. The exhibitions continue in: in the Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts centre, until Sunday, November 11, when all three artist will take part in an artists in conversation event in the gallery at 2pm.