The Artists Society of Canberra, our city’s oldest art group, has marked another milestone with the opening of its annual Spring Prize Exhibition at the Fitters Workshop in Kingston on Saturday evening.

As the society nears its centenary in 2027, president Katherine Buchanan says this year’s event is both a celebration of longevity and of Canberra’s thriving creative community.

Founded in 1927 by a group of architects, draughtspeople and surveyors, ASOC has weathered the decades with only a brief hiatus during the Great Depression and is still proudly nurturing artists of all backgrounds.

Officially opened by ACT Arts Minister Michael Pettersson, the gala attracted hundreds of art lovers, who mingled among more than 300 works in a range of two-dimensional media.

This year’s prize pool of $10,000 drew a strong field of entries, judged by gallery owner Kacy Grainger and eminent artist Peter McLean.

The coveted $1000 Best in Show award went to veteran Canberra artist Joan Costanza for her work Bear’s Dreaming.

Other major prizes included the Watercolour Prize for Well Earned Rest by Ekaterina Mortensen, the Best Portrait or Figure Prize for The Country Gentleman by Stephen Clively and the new Digital Art Prize for Bobby Graham’s Manspreading.

ASOC Spring Prize Exhibition, Fitters Workshop, Kingston, until October 26

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