Famous for such irreverent paintings as Tony Abbott sitting on Cardinal George Pell's knee and Jacqui Lambie as Princess Leia, the $10,000 Bald Archy Prize was temporarily put on hold after the death of its founder and Coolac local, Peter Batey.

Museum manager Luke Grealy said it was a relief to continue Mr Batey's legacy of satirising prominent Australians and "thumbing his nose at the art elite".

"Australia needs to laugh more than ever at the moment," he said. "And this is guaranteed to make them laugh."

Mr Grealy encouraged artists from across the Riverina and Australia to enter the prize and help ensure its successful return. He said the prize's judge, a cockatoo called Professor Maude Cockatoo PhD, had one main criteria.

"Anything goes - it could be irreverent, it could be bawdy, even a little bit vulgar, but it must make her laugh," he said. "You can send in a picture of a politician but if it's just being nasty or rude, [she's] not interested. It doesn't make her laugh."

The Museum of the Riverina and Wagga City Council inherited the past winners and the right to continue administering the prize from Mr Batey's estate.

Mr Grealy said the paintings even attracted workers in hi-vis and other people who wouldn't normally go to a gallery.

"Taking the mickey out of each other appeals to the Australian sense of humour," he said.

Entries are open until January 10, 2023 and the winner will be announced in Sydney in mid-March.

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