Beechworth Biennale Secures Regional Arts Funding

The Beechworth Biennale has been awarded $23,870 in a recent round of the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.

This grant is a significant endorsement for the Biennale, and a big win for the regional creative community: Beechworth sits within the Murray Arts footprint, and the funding not only supports local arts but also delivers cultural value far beyond the town itself.

Nina Machielse Hunt, the Biennale’s Creative Director, said on behalf of the committee:

“On behalf of the incorporated committee I can honestly say this is a significant validation of what we are achieving in a regional space.”

She added,

“To receive funding support from the Federal government is not only financially crucial for the success of the event, however also significant in terms of recognising the value of Art and Culture in regional Australia. The artists, artsworkers, schools, families and businesses who benefit from staging a professional event such as the Beechworth Biennale is hard to quantify. Having sophisticated thought provoking contemporary art and ideas generated within regional towns is impactful in many obvious but also discrete ways.”

Hunt emphasised the importance of such an event for community engagement:

“It is truly crucial for an engaged, informed and supported community to be exposed to and learn about the world around them. … An event such as this offers so much and most importantly it offers hope for our youth.”

Looking ahead, Hunt invited people to join in March 2026:

“The Beechworth Biennale 2026 team has worked incredibly hard to attract high profile artists from around the country to come to regional Victoria, and engage with our local and regional based artists … Jump on our website and next March come to our event in Beechworth and expect the unexpected! … Be entertained and meaningfully engaged … Bring your friends and family, it’s free-to-the-public … open on Saturday 7 Sunday 8 and Monday 9 March 2026.”

The 2026 Biennale, running from 7–9 March, will once again bring contemporary, site-responsive artworks across Beechworth — in streets, parks, façades, and other non-traditional venues.

For Murray Arts, this funding announcement underscores the vibrancy and growing recognition of cultural activity in our region. The Beechworth Biennale not only strengthens the local arts ecosystem but also helps position northeast Victoria (and the broader Murray region) as a hub for high-quality, accessible, and thought-provoking art.

For more information about the Beechworth Biennale, you can visit their website here.

Photo: Beechworth Biennale inc. committee of local volunteers overseeing the 2026 event. Photograph by Marc Bongers.