49 Artists Selected for WA Regional Arts Triennial Survey Exhibition at John Curtin Gallery

Southern Forest Arts is proud to announce the 49 artists selected for the Radical Futures survey exhibition of the third WA Regional Arts Triennial (RAT3), opening at John Curtin Gallery in September 2026.

Selected from 154 artists who participated across thirteen regional exhibitions throughout Western Australia, the survey exhibition brings together artists from 23 towns and communities spanning all nine regions of the state. Twenty-two of the selected artists are First Nations practitioners — the highest proportion in the Triennial’s history to date.

Chosen through a collaborative curatorial process led by Sarah Roots alongside the John Curtin Gallery curatorial team, the exhibition celebrates the depth, diversity and strength of regional contemporary arts practice across Western Australia.

The survey exhibition draws together works from thirteen unique yet interconnected exhibitions held across regional Western Australia throughout 2025 and 2026. Together, the selected works reflect diverse perspectives, materials, stories and ways of imagining the future, while positioning regional creative practice within broader national and international conversations around place, identity, transformation and cultural futures.

For many artists, inclusion in the John Curtin Gallery survey exhibition represents a significant professional milestone — offering the opportunity to present work to metropolitan and national audiences while celebrating the regional communities and creative networks that have shaped their practice.

---

Exhibition Details

WA Regional Arts Triennial 3: Radical Futures
John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, Perth WA
Thursday 17 September – Sunday 6 December 2026

---

Meet the Selected Artists

The selected artists of Radical Futures reflect the diversity and strength of regional creative practice across Western Australia. Drawn from thirteen exhibitions across the state, the survey exhibition brings together artists from remote communities, regional centres and collaborative collectives, each offering unique perspectives on place, identity and future-making.

The following selected artists are listed alphabetically by location, and by surname within each location:

---

WA Regional Visual Arts Summit

Running alongside the Radical Futures survey exhibition, the WA Regional Visual Arts Summit will take place at John Curtin Gallery from 17–20 September 2026.

Bringing together artists, curators, arts workers and regional organisations from across Western Australia, the Summit will create space for dialogue, exchange and collective reflection on the future of regional arts practice. The program will include talks, discussions, networking opportunities and professional development activities designed to strengthen connections across the sector.

Coordinated by Kimberley Arts Network and supported by Creative Australia and the WA Government, the Summit forms a key part of the WA Regional Arts Triennial’s ongoing commitment to building stronger networks, visibility and opportunities for regional artists and arts communities across the state.

Further Summit program details will be announced soon.

---

About the WA Regional Arts Triennial

The WA Regional Arts Triennial is a regionally-led capacity-building program coordinated by Southern Forest Arts in partnership with John Curtin Gallery, ART ON THE MOVE and Kimberley Arts Network.

Now in its third cycle, the Triennial has grown into a landmark structure for regional visual arts in Western Australia: a statewide cycle of mentorships, exhibitions, professional development and networking that culminates in a Perth survey exhibition and subsequent regional tour.

Building on the legacies of The Alternative Archive (2020) and Open Borders (2023), Radical Futures asks what more equitable, sustainable and culturally connected futures might look like, as imagined by the people who know their regions most intimately.