When it comes to collecting affordable art, a new micro-trend is emerging in Australia: buyers are discovering artists in places well beyond a commercial gallery.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is fast becoming the place to find new Australian artists, helping emerging makers to find homes for their work.
The show is giving commercial galleries a quiet run for their money, bringing with it a more democratic approach to collecting art.
Tucked in the arts and crafts pavilion of the show is a pop-up where artists engage with a clientele they might not have the chance to interact with in a traditional gallery.
For budding collectors, it is pitched as less intimidating than walking into an art gallery, the show curating a diverse mix of artists across all mediums from painting to ceramics and sculptural works.
Art people can afford
According to Royal Agricultural Society of NSW arts and crafts committee chair James Dorahy, who worked as an art gallery adviser, the democratisation of art collecting at the show has been a natural evolution.
Guide to the 2026 Sydney Royal Easter Show
“Showgoers come for the nostalgia — the food, the show bags, the traditions, and then they find themselves spending real time in the arts and crafts pavilion, which is consistently among the most visited areas of the show,” he says.
“It’s where they discover original Australian work they can actually afford. There’s no intimidation or pressure.Â
“It’s relaxed, welcoming and democratic, and people often arrive without any intention of buying art and leave having found something that genuinely resonates with them.”
The price of artworks sold at the show varies from $100 to $30,000. More than $350,000 worth were sold last year.
“A painting re-imagining famous Australian figures like Paul Hogan, Dame Edna and more in a dinner scene surprised us when it sold for $12,000,” Dorahy says.
Creating new collectors
With the cost-of-living crisis affecting our hip pockets, indulging in art collecting may seem like a fantasy, but first-time buyers tend to begin by purchasing one affordable artwork and build their collections from there.
“First-time buyers [at the show] regularly tell us this is the first artwork they’ve ever purchased,” Dorahy says. “And many artists say it’s the broadest and most diverse audience they’ve ever reached.”
One long-term exhibitor is regional NSW artist Sonja Bowden, who produces hyper-realist pencil drawings of horses. She has been exhibiting her work at the show for more than 20 years and is a former winner of the drawing category in the arts and crafts competition.
Sonja Bowden, an illustrator based in the Southern Highlands town of Bundanoon, loves horses. (Supplied: Royal Agricultural Society of NSW)
“She delivers them herself in a custom horse-float trailer, wearing jeans and a cowboy hat — and her work consistently resonates with show audiences,” Dorahy says.
Bowden continues to sell works that vary from miniature pieces to large drawings all thanks to being noticed at the show.
“The show offers an opportunity to experience an incredible range of Australian-made, original work all in one place,” she says.Â
“It helps demystify art collecting and makes it feel welcoming and accessible, while still celebrating quality, skill, and craftsmanship.”Learning artists’ back stories
An artist who has been exhibiting at the show for several years is Michelle Carr.
Last year, Michelle Carr was a finalist in the Bowral Sculpture Prize, worth $5,000. (Supplied: Royal Agricultural Society of NSW)
The war widow turned to pottery-making after losing her husband Matthew at the age of 38 in 2015.
Her new art practice gives her space to reflect on her grief as she creates circular vessels of hope and clarity. She’s fast becoming one to collect for her poignant pieces. This year, she’s exhibiting a selection of marbled slip-cast porcelain works, including a genie bottle, an atmospheric fired vessel and a series of smaller sculptural pieces.
“Each year my kids help me choose which pieces to enter [in the show], and it’s turned into a lovely family tradition that we all genuinely enjoy,” she says.
The show is a forum for curious art collectors to stop and see what artists are up to and hear their stories.
Last year, Michelle Carr was highly commended in both the atmospheric firing and miniature sculpture categories at the show. (Supplied: Greg Piper)
“Traditional galleries may feel intimidating or out of reach but the show removes those barriers,” Dorahy says. “You can meet the maker, understand the process, and support Australian creativity in a more casual space.”
‘Admired and discovered’
More than 850,000 people visit the Sydney Royal Easter Show each April. In September last year, more than 400,000 attended the Melbourne Royal Show, with many drawn to the Spotlight Makers Pavilion, where more than 4,000 works were exhibited, by artists ranging from school-age to established.
Anyone can exhibit and opt to sell their works at the Melbourne Royal Show — all you need to do is register your interest between June and August this year.
It’s all about meeting budding artists and mid-career ones under the one pavilion, and includes everything from photography to craft, junior art to printmaking.
“We saw a resurgence in our art and craft exhibition in 2022 when we came back after COVID,” Melbourne Royal Show CEO Brad Jenkins says.
“And the number of artists entering has grown over three years since.
“The appeal is that sense of community.
“What other art forum gives you access to almost half a million people — to be admired and discovered?”