Mr Levy, who is a contemporary Indigenous painter, is helping to organise the inaugural community centre art competition, which they're hoping to make an annual summer event. He said the art community in Glen Innes is booming.

"I think there's a big, big art community here in Glen Innes. I've only just recently moved back and I've been away for fifteen years," he said.

"It's progressed a lot more than when I was here before. I was dabbling in it when I was living here but then since coming back we've got two or three galleries, we've got regular shows, we've got regular people exhibiting, we've got regular people and regular artists who are going out of town and exhibiting in surrounding areas as well."

In his fifteen years away Mr Levy has exhibited in Japan, the UK and at Brisbane's state library of Queensland. He teamed up with legendary Glen Innes based artist Lloyd Hornsby for that last one.

He took over as deputy coordinator at the community centre in March after returning to Glen Innes.

"I sort of come up with this so that we could get people coming into the community centre. I just think the community is underutilising it," he said.

"And we want to get a lot more young people coming through as well, using what we've got (in terms of facilities)."

He said they were also trying to develop new programs like a driving education program to bring more young residents into the centre.

Entries close on July 26 with opening night set for August 9. Works will be hung in the new hall at the back of the community centre.

There are prizes on offer for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous painting or drawing, and sections for 2-5 years, 6-12, 13-17, open and 50 years and older.