Inside the circle: the 9.5cm challenge for West Vic artists

Ten years ago, Katherine Gage watched as artists drew on coasters in a San Francisco bar.

“If it was cool enough, they’d display it behind the bar,” Gage told the West Vic Brolga. The thought crossed her mind - could Warrnambool run with a similar idea? After all, “coasters are everywhere”. 

This August, hundreds of entries will fill The F Project gallery for the annual Coaster Art Show, all created on circular coasters with a 95mm diameter.

❓What happened: The Coaster Art Show is open to artists of all ages and levels of expertise.

Working on such a small surface is a challenge, and over the last decade Gage has seen creativity expressed in a variety of formats, using materials including felt, oil, collage and jewellery.

• “One of the most innovative designs was made by a jeweller named Trish Paige. It was a solid brass coaster, yet on closer inspection it separated into earrings and a necklace. It was really clever and quite beautiful.” 

• Another favourite featured clay monsters, called Ginklets, made by artist Molly Melican.  

Warrnambool's art scene: The venue for this year’s exhibition, The F Project, is a self-funded, volunteer-run space. Gage has lived in southwest Vic for 23 years, and said the community nurtures artistic talent. 

• “It’s easy to get involved here. Honestly, if you want to do something, just do it, there are definitely people here who will help support you.” 

Local Jane Curtis said her 2026 entries are downsized versions of previous paintings.

• “l really enjoyed scaling them down to very small details, which was a wonderful challenge, and they stand up on their own as original art.” 

Accessible art: Statistics from Creative Australia show the biggest barrier to Australians attending art shows in 2025 was cost. The exhibition for the Coaster Art Show will be free. 

🗣️: "The show is a local favourite because it’s totally inclusive,” Gage said. “It’s fun for talented folks to have a chance to display something creative, maybe someone who has never been in an art show before.” 

The Coaster Art Show is from August 22 and September 13.