Now, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is preparing to host its second year of the much-loved Archibald Prize, the annual portraiture prize that sees the likes of prime ministers, rock stars and Aussie heroes immortalised on canvas.

Ballarat won a bid to host the high profile exhibition at the end of 2014, cementing a two-year deal that set tourism operators and Ballarat’s arts community at the ready for a major visitor influx.

The city was ablaze with neon-pop promotional pink advertising, and hot candy-coloured street markers ensuring that no visitors could get lost on their travels between Ballarat Station and the gallery.

Tickets to the exhibition will go on sale on Monday, just days after this year’s finalists were announced by host body, the Art Gallery of NSW.

Already, a striking portrait of celebrity chef George Calombaris by Betina Fauvel-Ogden has been named as the winner of the Packing Room Prize, the initial contest chosen by staff who receive and hang the entries.

Finalists in this year’s prize include portraits of Barry Humphries, Ken Done and Philip Nitschke.

Gallery spokesman Peter Freund said he had no doubt this year’s event, which will open October 14, would be as successful as last year’s.

“We’re hoping for that and we’re certainly communicating with everyone who bought tickets last year, getting the word around,” he said.

“There’s a chance that some people will feel they’ve already been to Ballarat and done that experience, but we’re pretty confident it was a positive experience and they’ll be keen to return.

“(Plus) the works are new, there’s a whole range of new faces and people involved.”

Already this week, two of the exhibiting Archibald Prize artists have been in Ballarat, but for an entirely different reason.

Melbourne artist Peter Wegner has just been announced as the winner of the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s Rick Amor Drawing Prize for his triptych, Three Days with E.M, a drawing using pencil and beeswax on rag paper.

Wegner drew the pictures in response to an ageing friend going into palliative care. He has won $12,000 for the work, which has now been acquired by the gallery.

The work, along with other entrants, will be exhibited at the gallery until October 2.

Coincidentally, Rick Amor Drawing Prize competition judge Nick Mourtzakis is also an Archibald finalist.

Wegner’s Archibald entry is of fellow artist John Wolseley, while Mourtzakis has completed an ethereal blue self-portrait.