Happy 30th Birthday to the Linden Postcard Show

Visitors-at-the-opening-of-the-Linden-Postcard-Show-2019-20-photo-by-Theresa-Harrison2020 marks the 30th birthday of the Linden Postcard Show. And this year, to celebrate this milestone the gallery is doing things a little differently. Linden has invited past prize winners back to exhibit their recent work and to share their stories with audiences from Thursday 22 October 2020 – Sunday 31 January 2021.

The exhibition will be launched virtually, with an online opening and the works presented in a virtual gallery space. As soon as the gallery is allowed to re-open, the exhibition will be presented in the historic gallery spaces for the public to explore.

This 30th Birthday celebration will feature work by: Abdul Abdullah, Penny Byrne, William Eicholtz, Sarah crowEST, Robert Fenton, Prudence Flint, Josh Foley, Anna Hoyle, Helen Johnson, Michael Kluge, Robert McHaffie, Scott Miles, Jennifer Mills, Grant Nimmo, Greg Penn, Kenny Pittock, Louise Rippert, Hedy Ritterman, Valerie Sparks, Richard Stringer and Steffie Wallace.

Reflecting on the Linden Postcard Show, artists acknowledge the impact that winning a prize has had on their career development. For Melbourne-based artist Penny Byrne: “Being a Postcard winner back in 2005 started my career as an artist. On the strength of that first artwork I gained commercial gallery representation and since then I haven’t looked back,” she said.

“Winning the Postcard Show main prize in 2017 was a wonderful experience, and an affirmation that twelve years later my career was still going strong. In 2020 I am showing work in exhibitions in New York and Venice, as well as in several shows here in Australia. Here’s to 2021 and beyond!” said Byrne.

“The Linden Postcard Show – it’s always had a wonderful reputation,” said Sydney-based artist, Abdul Abdullah. “I like the fact that the people who have won it have often gone onto professional and really solid and critically engaging practices and careers, and so it’s really nice to a part of that lineage.”

Winning artists across all three decades of the show have been invited to submit a recent work of their choosing. The works provide an interesting insight into the artists’ current practices and the work they produce when not confined to the strict Linden Postcard Show size limit of 8 x 10”. The exhibition includes sculpture, painting, photography and works on paper, all in a range of sizes, from very small to very large.

“This is such an important milestone for Linden” says Linden New Art Director, Melinda Martin. “We have adapted our plans and are delighted to be holding a virtual opening that will feature special messages from the artists, images from over the 30 years of the exhibition’s history and a curator tour of the virtual exhibition. The artworks will be available for sale and people will be able to buy them from the comfort of their own homes.”


The Linden Postcard Show 30th Birthday Celebration exhibition will open to the public in the gallery space in December as long as current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. For more information, visit: www.lindenarts.org for details.

Image: Visitors at the opening of the Linden Postcard Show 2019-20 – photo by Theresa Harrison