Art Almanac – September 2026
Summary
George Johnson's 1995 acrylic Triangle Construction at 122 x 91 cm fronts the September 2026 issue of Art Almanac at AUD 10, with Sasha Grishin reviewing Arthur Boyd's tapestries at Ian Friend Gallery (page 26, exhibition 19 September – 29 November 2026 titled The Noise of Time), Sydney Contemporary returning to Carriageworks for its 10th edition (3-6 September 2026), and the Kilgour Prize 2027 calling for entries with a AUD 50,000 award.
Arthur Boyd: Tapestries (page 26) by Sasha Grishin examines Boyd's late-career textile works, translating his painterly language into woven form. Sydney Contemporary's 10th edition at Carriageworks runs 3-6 September 2026, principal partner MA Financial Group. The Kilgour Prize 2027 opens for entries 6 July – 5 October 2026 at Newcastle Art Gallery with a AUD 50,000 award. The Still Moves exhibition (5 September – 25 October) showcases Australian and international animation featuring Adam Elliot, Deborah Kelly, Cat Rabbit, Allison Schulnik, Alisi Telengut, Tjanpi Desert Weavers and Zhang Xu Zhan. Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award 2026 runs 24 August – 9 October with multiple finalists listed. SWELL Sculpture Festival takes over Currumbin Beach, Queensland 11-20 September 2026. Salon des Refuses 2026 at David Roche Gallery runs 14 August – 24 October. Desart presents DESERTMOB at Araluen Arts Centre 10 September – 25 October 2026. Jon Tarry's Something in the Sky shows 4-20 September at PS Art Space.
Regular features include the Editor's Note and Editor's Pick (pages 22-23), full What's On section covering every state and territory, gallery index, artist index, submissions and proposals listings, awards, auction houses, studio spaces, materials and services directories. Editor Dr Joseph Brennan continues at the helm with art director Paul Saint. The October 2026 issue deadline was 28 August 2026 with newsstand date 28 September 2026. Zoe Grey, Joshua Andree, Ron Robertson-Swann and the Iconic Loved Unexpected exhibition are flagged on the cover alongside Arthur Boyd. Banyule Open Studios runs 10-11 October 2026, 10 am – 5 pm.
Editor's Take
The September issue is a transitional edition — the major spring exhibitions are previewed but not yet reviewed, giving the issue a sense of anticipation rather than assessment. The strongest piece is Sasha Grishin on Arthur Boyd's tapestries, which brings proper art-historical weight to an overlooked late period. Sydney Contemporary coverage is adequate but brief: the 10th edition deserves more than a cover mention and a single listing. The weakest section is the cover itself, which tries to flag seven separate items and ends up communicating none of them clearly. The Kilgour Prize call-for-entries is well-placed for artists planning spring submissions. This is for the subscriber who needs the calendar and trusts Grishin's critical voice.
Strengths
• Sasha Grishin's Arthur Boyd tapestry review covers an under-documented late period
• Kilgour Prize AUD 50,000 call-for-entries is well-timed for spring submission planning
• SWELL and Sydney Contemporary provide strong spring art-fair coverage
Weaknesses
• Sydney Contemporary 10th edition gets only cover billing, no feature depth
• Cover tries to flag 7 items and communicates none effectively
Verdict: Recommended — The spring calendar edition delivers what regular subscribers need; wait for the October issue for reviews of the shows previewed here.
