The Pacific Palms Art Festival concluded its annual Exhibition and Sale, held from June 5 to June 7, with 97 artists submitting 189 entries across six categories. The top honor, the Pacific Palms Art Prize, was awarded to Tracie Bertram for her ceramic work "Cactus Crown," judged by acclaimed artist Steven Harvey. Category winners included Donna Rankin (Oil or Acrylic), Christine Marlow (Watercolour and Pastel), Paula Koert-Bain (Open section), Kian Bates (Photography), Jake Billinghurst (Pen, Pencil and Ink), and Elizabeth Grimshaw (Environmental section).
The festival matters as a premier cultural event for the Pacific Palms and Mid Coast region, showcasing local artistic talent across diverse media and themes, including environmental art. It highlights the vitality of community-based art festivals in supporting regional artists and engaging the public, reinforcing the role of such events in fostering cultural identity and creative expression outside major urban centers.