History

The Geeveston Art Exhibition was launched in 2015 with the purpose of showcasing the work of local talent within the Huon Valley. The Exhibition has run annually since that time, and in 2021 changed the name to the Geeveston Art Show.

Our Mission

• To create a world-class event to attract visitors from local, intra and interstate regions
• To showcase the works of Huon Valley artists
• To support emerging artists from the region
• To make beauty and culture accessible to everyone

Lightwood Bottom

The curious name of our First Prize is mired in local history. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the area was occupied by the Mellukerdee people, the traditional custodians of this land. The first European exploration of the area was as early as 1804 but the density of the forest deemed it not suitable for settlement. However in 1839, Lady Jane Franklin purchased 640 acres of this southern region and distributed land grants to the “poor but honest settlers”.

One recipient of these grants was William Geeves, an English settler who moved his family in 1850 to the area then known as Lightwood Bottom, so called after the type of blackwood timber prevalent in the area. The pioneering Geeves family renamed the settlement in 1861 to Geeves Town which eventually over time became Geeveston.

Committee

The Geeveston Art Show Committee is comprised of local members active in the art community.