One of Australia’s most entertaining art exhibitions is coming to regional Victoria, with the touring Bald Archy Prize arriving at Violet Town Community Hall this October.

Running from 17 October to 15 November 2026, the exhibition brings together satirical portraits of prominent Australians, celebrating humour, parody and caricature — and inviting audiences to look at portraiture from a very different angle.

Created in 1994 by Peter Batey OAM, the Bald Archy was established as a cheeky counterpoint to Australia’s prestigious Archibald Prize, proving that portraiture doesn’t always have to take itself too seriously.

And this year, the timing couldn’t be better.

For 16 days, from 17 October to 1 November, the Bald Archy in Violet Town and the Archibald Prize 2026 at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) will be running concurrently, offering visitors to the region the unusual opportunity to experience both sides of the “Archy” story. The Archibald, Australia’s oldest and most prestigious portrait prize, is making its only Victorian stop at SAM, while just down the road in Violet Town, the Bald Archy is bringing its distinctly irreverent take on portraiture to a regional community hall.

The Bald Archy Touring exhibition includes a $10,000 acquisitive first prize and a $2,000 People’s Choice Award, with the winning works and exhibition selected in keeping with the Bald Archy’s famously irreverent spirit.

The prize is also famously judged by the world’s leading avian art critic, Professor Maude Cockatoo.

After more than three decades of touring regional communities across Australia, the Bald Archy has become a much-loved celebration of Australian humour, bringing art out of the traditional gallery setting and directly into local communities.

For Violet Town, hosting the exhibition is both an exciting cultural opportunity and a chance to showcase the town’s own distinctive character.

Organisers say the Bald Archy feels right at home in Violet Town.

“Bald Archy is all about satire and not taking ourselves too seriously, and that fits perfectly with the character of Violet Town and regional Australia.”

Visitors can expect a colourful and often surprising collection of parody portraits of well-known Australians — works designed to make audiences laugh, think and perhaps see familiar faces in a completely different light.

There will be plenty more to discover while the Bald Archy is in town, with the main street of Violet Town being an eclectic experience of art, food, healing, music and niche retail experiences.

Violet Town is getting ready to roll out a warm country welcome.

Tickets will be available at the door

or you can book online HERE