ORGANISERS have been forced to cancel Friday's Chiltern Art Prize due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This is the second year in a row that the prize has been forced to cancel due to the pandemic.
Art prize creative director Michelle Fracaro said that it was "heartbreaking" to be forced to cancel once again.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"Given that it didn't happen last year, everyone was back in and excited this year and then to have this happen a week out is devastating," she said.
"It was a seriously difficult decision but we didn't really have much of a choice."
Ms Fracaro said that due to restrictions and the uncertain nature of the lockdown, that organiser's hands were tied.
"We just obviously could not go ahead any further and if we didn't cancel it when we did we'd have people turning up with works of art," she said.
"COVID disappointment is what we're calling it, everyone is just getting used to it."
The Prize was due to be held at the Chiltern War Memorial Hall.
Ms Fracaro said there are no plans to reschedule the Prize for later in the year, particularly with the ongoing pandemic.
"That's a hard decision to make right now, we could plan it again in two months and be faced with the same thing again," she said.