Arts Project Australia (APA) returns to Melbourne Art Fair in 2026. For this year’s iteration APA presents over two booths – the first showcasing works by Chris Mason and Wendy Dawson, alongside a series of workshops, demonstrations, installations, and artworks in the adjacent booth.
BOOTH 1: Wendy Dawson and Chris Mason
Wendy Dawson’s works are built through the careful layering of linear marks in paint and felt-tip pen. Using a vibrant but restrained palette, she creates textured fields of colour and pattern that shift subtly across the surface. Her process is precise and intuitive, producing works that are visually compelling at both distance and detail.
Chris Mason’s ceramic sculptures offer a striking counterpoint. Known for his depictions of voluptuous female figures, Mason creates highly resolved forms with smoothed surfaces and exaggerated curves. His works celebrate form with clarity and assurance, asserting the body as a site of strength, presence, and self-possession.
Mason and Dawson’s works bring together two distinct approaches to material and form – one grounded in rhythm and structure, the other in volume and surface.
BOOTH 2: APA Studio
The APA Studio booth features a group exhibition of works that showcase the diversity of contemporary practice represented by APA artists. It also operates as a dedicated public programming space, with visitors invited to sign up to participate in a range of workshops being delivered across the weekend.
All workshops have limited spaces, those wishing to attend are encouraged to book now to avoid missing out. Please see details and links to book now below. Bookings for the workshop are free, however to attend you will need to purchase a ticket to Melbourne Art Fair.
Presented by Terry Williams, Chris O’Brien, Joanna Anderson, and APA
Date: Saturday 21 February, 11am – 1pm
Join Arts Project Australia soft sculpture specialists Terry Williams and Chris O’Brien to stitch and stuff a fluffy rodent or a silky light weight barbell. The workshop draws from the current exhibition at the APA gallery, Houses, Spouses, Crises & Chrises, including works such as O’Brien’s rats and Williams’ barbells.
*Please note that workshop attendees must hold a ticket to Melbourne Art Fair.
Pussycat Patches: Fun-sized feline embroidery
Presented by Joanne Nethercote, Carolyn Hawkins, and APA
Date: Sunday 22 February, 11am -1pm
About the workshop: Accompany APA strictly-cat artist Joanne Nethercote to embroider a beloved feline on a miniature scale, as a tiny artwork or a patch for your jacket.
*Please note that workshop attendees must hold a ticket to Melbourne Art Fair.
Big Beautiful Still Lives: Still life meets life drawing
Presented by Chris Mason, Marcel Cooper, and APA
Date: Sunday 22 February, 2pm -4pm
About the workshop: You are invited to sketch Arts Project Australia artist Chris Masons’ big, beautiful, nude ceramic women during this still life drawing session with Chris Mason and APA artists.
*Please note that workshop attendees must hold a ticket to Melbourne Art Fair.
Accessibiliy
Wheelchair accessible
Auslan interpreter available on request
Accessible toilets, ramps and lifts are available throughout the venue. Companion cards are accepted.
A quiet space is available inside the venue, please see a Melbourne Art Fair staff member for directions.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is on the bank of the Yarra River in South Wharf. It is a short walk from Melbourne’s central business district and a 20-minute drive from Melbourne Airport.
Enter via Exhibition Door 1. The nearest MCEC entrance is on Clarendon Street.
Getting Here
Catch any train that goes to Southern Cross Station. Get off at Southern Cross Station and take tram number 96, 109 or 112 as above.
The trams listed below stop opposite the Clarendon Street entrance of Melbourne Convention Centre:
Route 96 – St Kilda to East Brunswick
Route 109 – Port Melbourne to Box Hill
Route 12 – Victoria Gardens to St Kilda
Alternatively catch tram number 48 or 70 and get off at the Flinders Street stop. Then take a short walk towards the Yarra River, across the Seafarers Bridge. For further tram timetable information and trip planning, visit the Victorian Public Transport website.
There is paid underground parking available, however pre-booking is required to ensure you are guaranteed a spot*.
Book a spot at MCEC Wilson Parking here. The closest MCEC carpark doors are: 2, 3, 4, 5.
