Let’s be clear. “The Australian Watercolour Muster is not a competition,” its organisers tell ArtsHub. “Rather, it’s intended as an interactive art symposium and a sharing of artworks.”
A biennale initiative, the Australian Watercolour Muster will again be staged this year, and the venue where international artists will gather alongside Australian’s creative community, will be Cairns.
The Australian Watercolour Muster is part of a network from over 90 countries, that are linked together via the FabrianoInAcquarello – Italy Art Symposium, which has been held annually in Italy for the last 17 years.
Artists from this global network have been invited to Australia to paint, tutor workshops and give demonstrations over six days of art-fuelled activity from 17-22 September.
The jewel in the program is the exhibition Best in Muster 2025, which will showcase 32 Australian watercolourists and 17 international masters, including South Korean artist J. Hunsung, who will also give demonstrations.

The exhibition will be presented in the Cairns Court House Gallery from 17 September to 8 November.
Australian Watercolour Muster: growing contacts is key
The Muster is a multi-pronged art festival – in addition to the international exhibition is an ambitious program of workshops, social networking opportunities and, foremost, a keen passion to raise the profile of watercolour practice in Australia.
The Muster organisers explain: “The goal of the Australian Watercolour Muster is to create a broader platform for Australian artists to engage with the international arts community – and specifically for the watercolour community – to take their work into new and creative fields of endeavour and exhibition spaces, where possible, in the world.
A special opportunity has been extended to Australia to be the Guest Nation at the Bienal Internacional de Acuarela Caudete in 2026, with artist Caroline Deeble chosen to lead the selection.
The organisers explain: “In consultation with our artist Caroline Deeble, we plan to select five of our Australian artists from our ’32 Best in Muster’ 2025 to have their work taken to Caudete, Spain, for exhibition, along with a number of other key Australian artists to represent Australia.”
The exciting part is that selection for this honour will be via a popular vote by delegates attending The Australian Watercolour Muster Biennale in September – another reason to start planning your trip to Cairns.
How to join a workshop
Pack your paint kits, because over 25 interactive art workshops are on offer at this year’s Muster, including a ‘Picnic and Paint’ Plein Air Workshop at the stunning Port Douglas, interacting with artists from the Port Douglas Artists Inc collective.
Among the masters delivering workshops will be Prafull Sawant, Jude Scott, Alison Fincher, Nina Volk, Yesim Gozukara, Ewald Hinteregger, Nicolas Lopez and Rajat Subhra Bandopadhyay, on topics ranging from capturing the language of light and water, to finessing texture and motion in watercolour.
Presented at the Tanks Arts Centre, within Cairns Botanic Gardens, the workshops offer a chance to slowly interact with the international watercolour community on home ground, while sharing techniques, learning and being inspired by artists practising across different cultures.
Workshops will be kept intimate (15 people maximum) allowing artists to have that one-on-one sharing experience.
Dates for your diary
- Muster workshop program delivered 17-22 September. Bookings required.
- The Watercolour Muster Dinner Cruise, Friday 19 September.
- Opening of the 2025 Australian Watercolour Muster exhibition with demonstrations by artist J hunsung, on Saturday 20 September.
- The exhibition Best in Muster 2025 continues until 8 November.
- ‘Picnic and Paint’ Plein Air Workshop in Port Douglas, Monday 22 September.
- Plus, countless free demos across the six-day program.