We've had a great response, and we're close to full, but we'd love a few more entries in local theme, digital painting, drawing and 3D, so we've extended the deadline across all categories until 11.59pm on Sunday night (2 November).

Categories are:

• oil: oil only paints - traditional, water soluble, alkyd oil
• acrylic: acrylic only paints - acrylic tubes, acrylic pens, acrylic gouache, acrylic inks
• watercolour: only watercolour based - tubes, pans, watercolour crayons, watercolour pens, gouache, watercolour inks, line and wash, watercolour sticks, watercolour pencils 
• pastel: only pastel -  sticks, pencils, soft, oil, pan
• mixed media: any 2 or more mediums as well as fabric, paper, beads, lace, ribbon etc
• digital painting: digital original works where digital tools such as Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop or similar are used to produce a digital painting from scratch or from a scanned, hand drawn base
• 3D: any 3D artwork in any material eg clay, wood, metal
• drawing: drawing with pencil, pen, crayon, charcoal, colour, monochrome, line, shading
• photography: original photograph - processed either traditionally or digitally using recognised photo processing software such as Photoshop or similar. Enhanced photography creating special effects eligible, provided original photograph has been used as base. 
• local theme (any medium) : any medium inspired by The Old Courthouse, Seymour

Emerging and establish artists welcome.

• Art Beyond the Divide 2025 exhibition
• Entries close 31 October
• Nearly $6000 in prizes across 10 categories

Artists and photographers will take centre stage at Wine X Sam in Seymour this November, with entries for the 2025 Art Beyond the Divide exhibition now open.

Presented by the Seymour and District Art Society, entrants will be in the running for nearly $6000 in prizes across 10 categories, plus best in show and people’s choice awards.

The annual event is well-established as a regional feature with a range of contemporary and traditional artists, sculptors and photographers from across Victoria taking part.

Categories are oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, mixed media, mixed media, digital painting, 3D, drawing and photography. This year also has a special local theme category (any medium) for work inspired by the Old Courthouse building in Seymour.

The Old Courthouse Building is one of Seymour's oldest and houses the art society's gallery which recently re-opened to the public following significant flood damage in October 2022.

Seymour and District Art Society President Terri MacDonald encouraged people from across the region to enter and showcase their work alongside leading artists from Victoria and beyond.

“Whether you’re just starting out for the first time or are an established arts practitioner, our exhibition offers an exciting and supportive space to highlight the wealth of creativity and skill of artists from Mitchell shire and more widely.

“Art Beyond the Divide is unique in that its organised and run by local artists, with the sole purpose of bringing art to the wider community – and encouraging the community to take part in the exhibition.

“We’re excited at the prospect of showcasing a diverse range of art, from beginner to expert, and from creative to innovative.

“In doing so, Art Beyond the Divide will transform the industrial working winery’s back rooms into a vibrant hub of creativity.”

Entries close Friday 31 October, with online entry available through the Seymour and District Art Society website www.seymourartsociety.org.au. Hard copy entry forms are also available at the Old Courthouse Gallery in Seymour and the Seymour Library.

Artists and photographers will take centrestage at Wine X Sam in Seymour this November, with entries for the 2025 Art Beyond the Divide exhibition now open.

Presented by the Seymour and District Art Society, entrants will be in the running for nearly $6000 in prizes across 10 categories plus a best in show award.

The annual event is well-established as a major regional exhibition featuring a range of contemporary and traditional artists and photographers from across Victoria. 

Categories for 2025 are oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, mixed media, mixed media, digital painting, 3D, drawing and photography.

This year, a special local theme category is open for entries across all mediums with any work inspired by the Old Courthouse building in Seymour eligible.

The Old Courthouse Building is one of Seymour's oldest and houses the art society's gallery which recently re-opened following significant damage in the October 2022 flood. 

St Mary's College in Seymour is holding a student exhibition at the Old Courthouse Gallery from 5 to 17 September.
Featuring a range of works from all year levels, the exhibition is a great showcase of emerging talent in our community. 
​​The gallery is open from 10am to 4pm weekdays and 9.30am to 2pm weekends. 

A small group of members took part in the August Brush Up working on a range of projects across the group. 
Brush Ups are held each month and provide a great chance for members to come together to work on projects, share tips and advice in a supportive environment and see a range of different mediums in action. 

Seymour and District Art Society AGM was held on 30 August 2025. 

Thank you to previous commmittee members and office bearers for their dedication and commitment and welcome to some new faces for 2025/26.

Our 2025/2026 Committee

• President - Terri MacDonald
• Vice President - Rosemary Scott
• Treasurer - Faye Considine
• Secretary -  Pauline Taylor
• Membership Secretary - Michelle Slater
• Workshop Coordinator - Maureen Runge and Pauline Taylor
• Hanging Committee Coordinator - Marja Verter
• Social Media and Website Coordinator - Rosemary Scott
• Publicity and Promotions - Rosemary Scott
• Committee Members:  Pam Collings, Trish Dale, Christine Duke, Peter Maroudas​

With entries for Art Beyond the Divide exhibition opening at the end of September, categories for 2025 have been unveiled including a new local challenge theme for this year. 

The theme celebrates the re-opening of the Old Courthouse Gallery after the October 2022 flood with art from any medium inspired by Seymour Old Courthouse building eligible for the special prize. Other prize categories include oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, mixed media, digital painting, 3D and photography. 

Entries open 29 September. 

A number of Seymour & District Art Society members showcased their work at the 2025 Hart of Mitchell exhibition in Broadford from 25 July to 3 August.

Hosted by Mitchell Shire Council, the exhibition is in its third year and features work from artists with a connection to the area.

As a society committed to promoting the arts in our community, it is exciting to see this exhibition take its place on the local arts calendar and provide another local platform to showcase the creative spirit in our community. 

We’re grateful for the opportunity for our members to be involved and extend a thank you Council for hosting and to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make it possible.

It’s exciting to think about how this event might continue to grow in the future with continued support from council and the broader community, we’re hopeful the arts will keep gaining momentum in our region.

The Old Courthouse Gallery in Seymour has a fresh look with Seymour & District Art Society members putting on a winter show to officially celebrate the return of the much loved community space after the 2022 floods. 
Mitchell Shire Mayor and North Ward Councillor John Dougall and South Ward Councillor Claudia James attended the opening to learn more about the society, members and the arts in Mitchell.
The winter exhibition is on display until the spring change over in September. Works are available to purchase through the Visitor Information Centre.