The main aim of bentART is to stage an annual LGBTQI+ art exhibition in the Blue Mountains, which includes a physical and virtual online gallery, held on the June long weekend.
The exhibition is made possible with the involvement of a volunteer committee, volunteers for running the exhibition, fundraising, grants, sponsorship, and bentART membership, fees and commissions. Costs are minimised through a discounted gallery hire, and donations of time and resources from the community. A modest entry fee is charged, including an ‘earlybird’ rate, and bentART collects a modest commission to be used for exhibition costs the following year. bentART strives to make as much prize money and artist recognition available as possible. The grant from Lesbians Incorporated go toward covering the costs that are still incurred with holding such an exhibition in both physical and virtual form.
The exhibition allows LGBTQI+ artists, including new and emerging, to participate in a welcoming and supportive art environment, ranging from hobbyists to professional artists. This provides a rare opportunity to showcase artwork with minimal costs. While there are other community art exhibitions, none showcase such a diverse range of high-quality artwork from a uniquely LGBTQI+ viewpoint.
