Despicable Ploy, by artist Phil Meatchem, has won the 2025 Bald Archy. Photo: Museum of the Riverina.
Despicable Ploy, by artist Phil Meatchem, has won the nation’s premier satirical art prize in Canberra. A Gru-inspired image of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton playing chess with some nuclear reactor pieces has taken out the 2025 Bald Archy Prize.
Mr Meatchem won the $10,000 prize for his painting after it was announced at the Canberra Potters and Watson Arts Centre.
Despicable Ploy is a satirical take on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s proposed nuclear power infrastructure plan.
“I’m not an artist with a strong political view. It was a simple idea of what looked like a pretty scary dude, to me at least, and these ominous looking nuclear monoliths,” Mr Meatchem said.
“It had been quite a while since I’d entered an art prize, and winning was a great surprise and a bit of lesson for me that, sometimes, you just have to have a crack.”
In a unique and quirky twist, the winner of the Bald Archy is chosen by a sulphur-crested cockatoo named Maude, who “picks” the winner by squawking in front of her favourite painting.
The 2025 People’s Choice Award was won by artist Marty Steel for his work, Let there be a Thousand Blossoms Bloom, which features a banana-wielding Bob Katter.
2025 Bald Archy People’s Choice Award winner, Let there be a Thousand Blossoms Bloom, by Marty Steel. Photo: Museum of the Riverina.
Created in 1994 by the late Peter Batey, OAM, the Bald Archy Prize is considered to be Australia’s premier satirical art prize.
Following Mr Batey’s passing in 2019, the administration of the prize was given to Wagga Wagga City Council’s Museum of the Riverina, which revived the tour in 2023.
Museum of the Riverina curator Michelle Maddison. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
Museum of the Riverina curator Michelle Maddison has faithfully managed the exhibition and said the artists put up a mirror to society and create something worth seeing.
“It’s a lot of fun and they do look at current affairs and that’s reflected in the type of paintings we get,” Michelle Maddison said.
“The Bald Archy’s is an acquisitive prize, so every year Wagga and the Museum of the Riverina aquires the winning painting, so it’s win-win; we have a collection of paintings which we call “The Best of the Bald Archy’s” and they’re available throughout the year for galleries or halls, or whoever wants to display them,” Michelle said.
Bald Archy artists Steve Panozzo and Sharon O’Neill with their 2024 entries. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
NSW Artist Steve Panozzo is a lifelong fan, and contributor to the Bald Archy competition. His recent subject was ABC personality and Logie Award winner Tony Armstrong, who was presenting live on ABC News Breakfast when his colleagues playfully roasted him about it.
“He just cringed a bit and said, “OMG, so embarrassing” and [his colleagues on air] had a great laugh at his expense on morning breakfast TV, which was lovely,” Steve Panozzo said.
Steve Panozzo’s painting of Tony Abbott in his budgie smugglers made $3000 for charity Youth Off The Streets. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
As well as giving viewers a laugh, Steve Panozzo’s work has also helped those in need. He donated his painting of former prime minister Tony Abbott in his budgie smugglers to charity.
“There was an auction for Youth Off The Streets, and they auctioned it off for $3000 which was wonderful.”
This week, the 2025 Bald Archy exhibition will embark on a year-long interstate tour across NSW and Victoria, taking in the towns of Griffith, Mansfield, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Corowa, Holbrook, Deniliquin, and Temora, before wrapping up in Wagga Wagga in December.
Tour information and the full list of the 2025 entries are available here.
Original Article published by Marguerite McKinnon on Region Riverina.
