The Condensery brings ag shows to the art gallery

Published on 21 November 2025

	Naomi McKenzie’s polaroid film portraits captured the whimsical fun of agricultural shows.

THE LOCAL ag show will spark different feelings and memories for every person who walks through its gates.

Whether it’s the animal judging, the produce displays, the rides, the food or the sideshow alley, no two people experience agricultural shows the same way.

The Condensery – Somerset Regional Art Galley tasked ten local artists with creatively documenting the four agricultural shows in the region to create an exhibition which prompts us as viewers to reflect upon our own personal associations with ag shows.

‘The Show’, opening Saturday, 6 December 2025 at The Condensery, is a collaborative exhibition featuring artwork and photographs taken at agricultural shows in Esk, Kilcoy, Lowood and Toogoolawah.

Artists Elizabeth Poole, Gracie-Dawn Lewis, Jan Godfrey, Jim Filmer, Jim McKenzie, Joanne Coleman, Naomi McKenzie, Noela Lowien, Sandi Hook and Susan McConnel’s collective work explores the nostalgia and preservation of traditional values inherent in agricultural shows today, and the possible futures for regional community building.

Somerset Regional Council Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee Chair, Councillor Sally Jess, said The Show captured the feelings and atmosphere of agricultural shows.

“Somerset is a diverse region with a rich history of agriculture and agricultural shows,” Cr Jess said.

“This exhibition was an opportunity for Somerset artists to immerse themselves in our local shows and capture what makes them unique.

“Artworks include wire portraits, stop-motion short films, photographic narratives, polaroids, behind-the-scene sketches, ceramic artworks and soundscapes.

“The collection tells the stories of stewards preparing their displays, children exploring the pavilions and families passing down long-standing traditions.

“We’re so excited to give Somerset artists more opportunities to share their skills and tell unique stories at The Condensery.”

Merinda Davies’ exhibition, ‘Cowgirls are forever’ will also open on 6 December in The Condensery’s bomb shelter exhibition space.

‘Cowgirls are forever’ considers non-agricultural plants which might be forgotten by technological pollinating solutions, imagining a future where a cowgirl works with flowers to support their reproduction in the absence of pollinators like bees and butterflies.

‘Cowgirls are forever’ is proudly supported by City of Gold Coast through its Arts Development Fund.

The two exhibitions will be on display at The Condensery from 6 December 2025 to 16 February 2026.

The community is invited to meet the artists and join The Condensery at the official opening on Saturday, 6 December from 2pm to 4pm.

Bookings essential for catering, visit thecondensery.com.au/exhibition-opening-the-show-and-cowgirls-are-forever

The Condensery - Somerset Regional Art Gallery is located at 29 Factory Road, Toogoolawah.

Artist Jim Filmer photographed the journey of the meticulously groomed birds competing in the poultry pavilion in The Condensery’s exhibition, The Show.