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On the eve of The Doyles 2026 Art Exhibition opening, we were made aware of a completely unacceptable and unfortunate situation where last year’s winner of The Doyles had been discovered to be a direct copy of another artist’s work. Our terms and conditions are clear and agreed upon entry by every artist stating, ‘Artwork must be original two-dimensional paintings or drawing in any traditional medium (no AI or digital work). Artwork(s) must not breach any copyright, this includes copies of professional artist’s work done in workshop settings. (No Giclée prints).’ 

This rocked our board, volunteers, judges, and the art community in general, as its submission directly contravened our explicit entry conditions to deceive the award by falsely representing itself as an original work. We take this very seriously and have undertaken steps to revoke the 2025 first prize landscape award and are seeking legal advice about recouping the prize money.

The Doyles committee is a volunteer organisation whose dedication supports the arts and while it may appear like a large and fully funded entity, it’s a small group of local artists and art lovers who take time out of routine schedules to help deliver an annual exhibition attracting almost 1,000 entries and featuring over 450 artworks across junior, adult and all ability categories. Whilst we have spent years improving processes around The Doyles to uphold an outstanding reputation, there is still work to do.

The Doyles has provided a platform for artists to submit original works for nearly a quarter of a century. Each year, we welcome a high-calibre guest judging panel who we cannot thank enough for putting their hand up to dedicate their time and help. These people are respected in their field and are a combination of independent art professionals, leaders within the arts community, passionate art lovers and professionals who have differing views of the art world.

With the help of our volunteer team, this year’s awards have been an incredible success. We have sold many artworks, moving thousands of dollars into artist’s hands alongside significant prize monies as well as welcoming thousands of attendees to the exhibition, which helps support both the arts and local Mudgeeraba communities. Extra probity, including ways to verify the originality and authenticity of future submissions are in the works for future events. As always, we appeal to the art community to uphold authenticity in every way, while continuing to keep IP and copyright protection for artists a priority.

We have received encouragement from the Doyle family, the arts community, sponsors, and other supporters to move ahead, and we look forward to guarding and growing this historically significant event for future generations.