National Works on Paper 2026 (NWOP)
MPRG's biennial acquisitive prize survey of contemporary Australian work on paper: prints, drawings, collage, mixed media. Free, Tue to Sun 11am to 4pm.
NWOP is one of Australia's longest-running prizes for work on paper: prints, drawings, collage, mixed media. The 20,000 AUD major acquisition (plus a swag of smaller awards and acquisitions) is enough to draw entries from artists who would otherwise never list a Mornington venue. Held every two years, it is the closest thing the Peninsula has to a destination art event.
Go for the opening if you care about meeting the artists and seeing the prize call. Otherwise the show runs to 22 November and rewards a quiet Tuesday or a wet Sunday more than a busy Saturday. Free entry, no booking for the show itself.
The practical pairing is obvious: gallery first, lunch on Main Street, an afternoon cellar door if the weather is on. Budget ninety minutes for the show alone if you read every label.