The 22nd Bald Archy Prize will open on Friday with subjects ranging from Palmer to Peta and from Russell to Rolf. And this year it has had the most entries from Canberra in its history.

Founder and director Peter Batey says there were "between 12 and 15" Canberra entries, about three times the usual number.

"I don't know what it's all about, that."

Perhaps Canberra artists have finally taken the satirical portrait prize to their hearts - or maybe it's simply the $10,000 prize that has attracted them. Poking fun at politicians and other notables has always has its attraction here, of course.

There's certainly no shortage of political and media targets, whether it's Abbott shown wearing the uniform of a US general or columnist Andrew Bolt with egg on his face. Russell Crowe and Rolf Harris are also among those who make appearances.

And a few of the Canberra works made the final cut - chosen, as always by a mysterious sulphur-crested cockatoo named Maude. Among them were Val Johnson's portrait of Senator Jacqui Lambie and portraits of Treasurer Joe Hockey and Prime Minister Tony Abbott by an artist who paints under the name Pick Pock.

All will be revealed on Friday, when the exhibition has its first public showing at Watson Arts Centre.

Batey says there were 67 entries this year - many by former entrants and several by previous winners, including Xavier Ghazi, who's won three times. There were also plenty by newcomers eager to try their hand. Maude whittled them down to 47 for exhibition and touring purposes. Among the popular subjects this year have been Abbott, Lambie and former Countdown host Molly Meldrum.

One entry, Victorian artist Frances Kelly's When Charlie Met Ahmed, refers to the Charlie Hedbo attacks in Paris. Kelly has donated any sale proceeds to the continuation of the Bald Archys. Batey was chuffed by this and says the Bald Archys are a reminder of the freedom of speech people enjoy in Australia.

Following the Canberra season the exhibition will tour to Gundagai, Deniliquin, Coffs Harbour, Brewarrina, Swanpool, Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Corowa and end in Temora in mid-November.

The 2015 winner will not be announced until July 25, in Sydney, because of the later than usual presentation of the Archibald Prize. The Bald Archys began at the Coolac Festival Fun as a spoof of the more serious award, but that's not to say Maude lacks any standards.

Batey says, "She likes outrageousness and irreverence but she doesn't approve of the 'This is my soapbox' type paintings or hate ones. You can be funny without hating."

And. he says, she will sometimes pick the odd work that's in keeping with the apocryphal often-heard cry at the Archibalds, "My child could've painted that."

"Maude loves those, but she doesn't say which ones."

The Bald Archys now have their own Facebook page, Batey says.

"Maude is going to have her own blog - stand back! She might not only comment on the visual arts - she might be into the lot. I don't know that you can actually sue a cockatoo."

Batey is considering the future of the Bald Archys.

He's over 80, and as the Bald Archys is an acquisitive award he will soon have 22 works of art on his hands. He hopes that a public institution like the National Portrait Gallery or the National Museum of Australia will eventually take on the collection - and possibly the awards themselves.

"I don't know what the reaction would be - would they like it or is it 'crap'?"

He thinks the prizewinners have artistic value as well as being a documentation of Australian attitudes, concerns and interests over the period of the Bald Archys. Whether that would be enough for an institution to take them on, though, he doesn't know.

Of one thing he is certain.

"Maude'll outlive me."