Artist Opportunities
Are you an artist looking for your next big opportunity?
We have compiled a list of artist opportunities currently seeking applications.
First Nations Art Commission for Shoalhaven City Council Uniforms
Shoalhaven City Council is inviting First Nations artists to create two artworks for our staff uniforms and vehicle decals. This initiative supports our Reconciliation Plan and aims to build stronger connections between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous communities, benefiting all Australians.
We welcome Expressions of Interest (EOI) from established and emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists connected to or based in the Greater Shoalhaven Region. We seek artwork that reflects local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concepts related to the area, country, and water.
Selected artworks will be featured on staff uniforms (including workwear, hats, and polo shirts), vehicle decals and other materials.
The commissioned artist will receive:
- $10,000 (plus GST if applicable) for the uniform artwork.
- $2,000 (plus GST if applicable) for the vehicle decal artwork.
Please note only one artist will be selected for both projects
Applications close May 1, 2025
Artist/Curator Exhibition Callout – Wollongong Art Gallery
We’re seeking exhibition proposals from artists and curators for consideration in our 2026 program. With multiple exhibition spaces available, we invite you to submit your exhibition application for consideration in our upcoming program.
At Wollongong Art Gallery we aim to present a diverse program, so we select exhibitions that explore a range of ideas, mediums, and practices. These exhibitions help encourage people to visit and use the Gallery as well as support our education and public programs.
Applications are open now and close on Sunday 4 May at 10pm, and the successful artists and curators will be notified by mid-May 2025. We encourage applications from everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, cultural background, faith, or disability.
2025 Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize
Entries are now open for the 2025 Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize.
Now in its fifth year, the prize has become one of the leading competitions for both art and design with an environmental focus.
Artists and designers from across Australia, are invited to submit work on the theme of the environment. This is your chance to be part of the conversation around climate issues and inspire a sustainable future.
Finalists will be featured in an exhibition across our 3 galleries: Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Curl Curl Creative Space and Mona Vale Creative Space Gallery.
$46,000 in prizes
- $20,000: Art
- $20,000: Design
- $3,000: Young
- $3,000: People’s Choice
Key dates
- Submission deadline: Sun 19 May, 5pm
- Finalist notification: Thu 29 May, by 5pm
- Exhibition: Fri 1 Aug – Sun 14 Sep
Australian Fibre Art Award 2025 – Call for Entries – $2,000 first prize!
The Australian Fibre Art Award is a biennial, juried, non-acquisitive competition with a $2,000 first prize. Contemporary artists residing in Australia are invited to submit recent, unseen works made of any fibre-related media. Gallery76, in Sydney’s inner west, will stage an exhibition of the 2025 finalists with the winner announced at the opening event on 30 August 2025. The organisers are ArtWear Publications, an Australian independent publishing company, providing quality magazines for the textile and fibre arts. It is the third time it has held the competition.
Key dates:
Entries due: 30 June 2025
Exhibition of finalists: 29 August – 22 September 2025
Winner announced: 30 August
Youth Week 2025 Creative Arts Competition
Anzac Memorial Veteran Artist in Residence program
The Anzac Memorial Veteran Artist in Residence program offers contemporary veterans with established creative practices the opportunity to engage with the Memorial and the broader community through an artwork or project.
The guest veteran artist (or group) will have a unique chance to explore the Memorial’s architecture, history and artefacts as part of a creative project that reflects on and interprets Australian military experience, the Anzac Memorial and/or memorialisation.
We welcome project proposals across a broad variety of creative formats including:
- Music composition
- Written works such as poetry and prose
- Performance and theatrical work
- Film, animation and video
- Visual art, including painting, graphic art and photography
There is a small grant attached to the Residency of up to $10,000 to assist a guest veteran artist (or group) to develop their work. The Residency may culminate in an event which will showcase the work in November 2025.
Applications for the 2025 Residency close on Monday, 24 March at 5pm.
Call for Submissions for Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2025
Call for submissions for the 27th Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi to be staged along the coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama in Sydney, Australia from 18 October – 4 November 2025 are now open.
ARTIST AWARDS AND SUBSIDIES
Each year we seek to generate artist subsidies and awards, many of which are finalised throughout the year. Subsidies and awards confirmed to date for Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2025:
- The Aqualand Sculpture Award of $70,000 – an acquisitive award with the sculpture gifted by Aqualand for permanent placement in NSW.
- Three Helen Lempriere Scholarships for Australian Artists – $35,000 for a senior-career Artist, $30,000 for a mid-career Artist and $25,000 for an emerging-career Artist.
- Two Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Artist Mentorships of $15,000 for Australian Artists.
- An Artist cost contribution of up to $3,000 available to each Artist who also exhibits in ‘Sculpture Inside’ and does not otherwise net over $3,500 (see Terms & Conditions for details).
- The Friendship Society of Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, Danish Artist Award of $15,000 for a Danish Artist
- Waverley Council Mayor’s Award of $10,000
- Mostyn Family Foundation Artist Subsidy of $5,000
- Capral Artist Subsidy of $5,000
- The Kids’ Choice Prize of $5,000
Expression of Interest: NSW Parliament Facade Interpretation Artwork
We are excited to share an opportunity for artists to create an interpretation of the iconic NSW Parliament House facade. Artists will be tasked with creating a digital artwork through which their unique perspective can be explored in visualising the highly recognisble facade as seen from Macquarie St Sydney.
We are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from artists with strong connections to New South Wales. Aboriginal, LGBTQIA+ and/or rural, regional, and remote artists, as well as emerging artists, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Up to three artists will be selected. Each successful artist will be paid a fee of $6050 plus GST.
Expression of interest applications close: Sunday 16 March 2025
Successful artists advised by: Tuesday 25 March
Debra Porch Award: Visual Arts Residency
Creative Australia has committed to a three year (2024 – 2026) trilateral partnership with SAC Gallery, Bangkok and UNSW Galleries, Sydney with the support of the Debra Porch Award. Each gallery will host one artist each year from Thailand and Australia respectively, to undertake a six-week visual arts residency:
- The successful Australian recipient will receive a grant of $10,000 AUD to cover artist per diems, travel and insurance costs, living expenses and accommodation. Studio access will be provided by SAC Gallery, however the artist will be responsible for arranging their own accommodation. The Thailand residency will take place in November and December 2025.
- The successful Thai recipient will receive a grant of $13,000 AUD to cover artist per diems, travel and insurance costs and living expenses. Accommodation and studio access will be provided by UNSW Galleries. The dates for the Australian residency can be negotiated with UNSW Galleries and take place anytime within the 2025-26 Australian financial year.
The residency host organisations will introduce the artist to the local sector and assist with research and network building with relevant communities. The artist will also have the option to share an artist talk or participate in a public program at the end of the residency.
Applications close on Tuesday 18 March 2025
Burwood Art Prize 2025
Entries for the 2025 Burwood Art Prize are now open!
The Burwood Art Prize invites artists from across Sydney to engage with the theme I AM HERE, exploring the importance of diverse cultural stories and community identity.
The Burwood Art Prize offers a platform for artists to delve into the significance of personal and shared cultural experiences, celebrating the many voices that shape contemporary multicultural Australia.
The theme I AM HERE encourages artists to reflect on and express their unique perspectives, using their work to build awareness, inspire celebration, and evoke joy. We invite artists to interpret this statement as a call to explore how art can spark meaningful dialogues, connecting audiences with the vibrant experiences that enrich our collective understanding.
We welcome you to be part of this vibrant celebration of culture, where diverse expressions come together to deepen our sense of appreciation for the stories that make us who we are.
Open to all Sydney based artists, the Burwood Art Prize features a prize pool of $25,000 and accepts the following mediums of artwork:
• Painting
• Drawing
• Photography
• Works on Paper
• Works on Canvas
• Video works
• Small sculpture
Entries close 5PM Friday 14 March 2025
Open Call for Artists – Shoalhaven Hospital
Cultural Capital has been appointed by Health Infrastructure NSW to curate the art program for the new Acute Services Building at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. We are seeking artist submissions for two curated artworks within this program.
Key Details:
- Who: Artists living or working in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District are strongly encouraged to apply.
- What: Two exciting opportunities to contribute to a curated art program led by Cultural Capital, in partnership with Health Infrastructure.
- Why: Help reimagine hospital spaces and leave a lasting impact on your community.
The redevelopment will be complete in early 2026.
EOI Key Submission Dates
Closing Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
Closing Time: 5.00pm (AEST)
Ian Potter Cultural Trust Emerging Artist Grants
The Emerging Artist Grants program offers grants of up to $15,000 to assist talented emerging and early-career artists in taking up professional development opportunities, usually overseas.
Professional development opportunities allow emerging artists to gain experience, develop networks and learn skills from the world’s best. We believe these experiences are invaluable for individual artists and the ongoing development of Australia’s vibrant arts sector.
Close, Tuesday 14 January 2025
Cumberland City Council Arts and Culture Program EOI
Do you have an idea for a local creative project? We want to hear from you!
Cumberland City Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from individuals and organisations engaged in creative, arts and cultural practice to participate in our 2025 arts and culture program.
Council delivers arts and cultural programs reflective of Cumberland’s communities, cultures and identities. These programs build connections between the places and people of Cumberland, creating vibrant local places and fostering access to arts and culture for those who live, work, play and study in Cumberland. Arts programs are delivered from Council’s key arts facilities – Granville Centre Art Gallery, and the Peacock Gallery and Auburn Arts Studio.
If you have an idea for a project that doesn’t fit for one of these facilities, we still want to hear from you, please call the Arts Team on 8757 9029 or email granvillecentreartgallery@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
For more information and to apply to participate in 2025 arts and culture programs, read on.
UHRIG RD COMMUNITY CENTRE PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) – Uhrig Rd Community Centre Public Art Commission
Interested Artists are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for a 2D or shallow profile 3D public artwork commission on a primary bulkhead for the Uhrig Rd Community Centre. This artwork commission has a clearly defined scope of works in relation to the fit-out program, artwork typology and working to the all-inclusive commissioning budget of $60,000 ex GST. Council will contract the Artist for the design, fabrication and installation and 12-months maintenance of the artwork.
Curatorial Vision
The relationship between a structure and its inhabitants is formed by social activity. The curatorial theme of Common Ground invites Artists to explore ideas of commonality, unity and transformation in this newly evolved environment on the border of Sydney Olympic Park.
Common Ground invites artists to explore how the expression or function of something is converted into another, through reinvention and shared experience. Cohesion, curiosity and connection are central themes and key to the activation of the community hub as a place of mutual knowledge, shared interests, ideas and activities essential for successful communication between people. The centre aims to foster a sense of belonging, promote health and wellness and facilitate recreational activities. It will be a place where local people can come together, share resources, and work towards a common goal of building a stronger and more vibrant community.
Based on detailed analysis, the Artist Brief articulates the opportunity for public art in the community centre. It includes benchmark projects that demonstrate similar themes, materials, budget, and fabrication methodologies. The project overview will include the scope of works, materiality, design life, safety in design, maintenance, and the artist engagement process. It is imperative that the design be considered within the interior fit-out construction program and involve coordination with Council, community and the Principal Contractor.
Applications close Sunday 19 January 2025, 11:59pm.
Volunteer for the Head On Photo Festival 2024.
One of Australia’s premier arts events, the Head On Photo Festival brings three weeks of Photography, special events, and artist talks transforming Sydney’s east into the arts hub of the city. And each year, all of this is only possible because of our amazing team of volunteers…
We seek volunteers ready to assist in different areas, including
- Exhibition installation
- Front of house/customer service
- Ticketing
- Admin
- Marketing
- Event photography
Volunteer positions will be open from 2 November through to 4 December 2024, so there is plenty of time to get involved. These are hands-on roles and an excellent opportunity to work with a tight-knit, high-paced team that produces great things.
If you are interested, visit https://headon.org.au/volunteer
Clifton School of Arts – Crescendo 2025 Artist Book Award
Open to artists living in Australia and the Asia Pacific.
Submissions of new work will be accepted from April 1 to August 1, 2025.
Selected books will be exhibited in the Clifton School of Arts on the
northern Illawarra Coast of NSW in November 2025.
$5,000 will be awarded to the winning entry & $1,000 for a local artist’s book.
Entry forms and Terms and Conditions are available
from the CSA website.
Blacktown City Art Prize
Blacktown City’s annual acquisitive art prize will open soon to artists across Australia, with a prize pool of over $23,500.
For nearly 30 years, the Blacktown City Art Prize has showcased the creativity of the region and provided emerging and established visual artists the opportunity to exhibit their work.
Finalists in the Blacktown City Art Prize go into the running to win 1 of 5 awards and the opportunity to have their work acquired for the Blacktown City Art Collection.
2025 Blacktown City Art Prize categories:
• Main Prize
• First Nations Artist Prize
• Local Artist Prize
• Early-Career Artist Prize
People’s Choice Prize.
Emerging and established artists living in Australia are invited to enter work across a diverse range of mediums including painting, drawing, photo media, textiles, mixed media, sculpture, and ceramics.
Finalists’ work is exhibited at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre and is on sale to the public.
Applications open from Monday 30 September to Monday 28 October, 5 pm
Meroogal Women’s Art Prize 2024
Museums of History NSW is excited to announce that entries are now open forthe Meroogal Women’s Art Prize 2024.
Women artists from across NSW are invited to submit works, in any medium, that respond to the historic house of Meroogal, its former occupants, and its meaning within broader historical and contemporary contexts.
The prize is supported by Museums ofHistory NSW, Bundanon and Shoalhaven Regional Gallery Nowra. First held in1998, the prize is now a biennial event. This year’s exhibition will be the 20thdisplay of thought-provoking works.
Entries close at 4pm on Tuesday 24 September 2024.
SECCA invites artists to submit entries for the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2024
One of Australia’s most loved and richest awards for realistic portraiture, the biennial Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award celebrates portraiture in memory of the dedicated arts patron and supporter, Shirley Hannan.
The $50,000 biennial award is non-acquisitive and attracts hundreds of entries from many of Australia’s most respected artists.
A prerequisite for the award was made that those works selected to hang depict their subjects accurately without abstraction and demonstrate a sound skill and knowledge of drawing and painting technique.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation – Call for exhibition proposals
The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is seeking submissions for our 2025 exhibition and arts learning program at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
Each season, five exhibition sites across three floors of the Hospital are transformed with a rotating exhibition schedule. Featured works include those by patients, children and young people, independent and emerging artists, mid-career and senior artists, community groups, institutions, and curated group shows. View our previous exhibitions.
This year we are excited to implement seasonal themes across the Art Program calendar findings ways to build intentional lines of connection across all aspects of the Program.
We invite you to connect with our themes and share your creative works, concepts and future imaginaries to be shared with the Hospital community; fostering opportunities that enrich our social, emotional, mental and physical wellbeing.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) call out for the Design and Construction of a ‘Welcome Gate’ Archway [City of Parramatta – Council]
Harris Park is becoming a cultural epicentre of creativity; a vibrant, brilliant and dynamic precinct; and a driver of economic vitality.
City of Parramatta is cultivating a South Asian Cultural Precinct with a ‘Welcome Gate’ Archway as the largest installation of public art in Harris Park. The ‘Welcome Gate’ Archway will be a game changer in the Cultural Precinct to align with urban designs and streetscapes development; greening strategies and amplify the authentic cuisine and culinary experience.
The ‘Welcome Gate’ Archway will drive a vibrant, brilliant and dynamic South Asian-inspired cultural precinct, where diverse communities converge to celebrate culture, honour heritage, foster creativity, and promote cross-cultural understanding.
The ‘Welcome Gate’ Archway will physically and artistically display the dynamic culture of South Asia to appreciate and celebrate the Cultural Precinct in Harris Park.
City of Parramatta (Council) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Consultants and/or Project Teams to deliver end-to-end the ‘Welcome Gate’ Archway project.
Closes: 10am on Friday, 30 August 2024
Windmill Trust Scholarship for Regional NSW Artists
Established in 1997 in memory of the artist Penny Meagher, the emphasis of the Windmill Trust Scholarship is to support professional artists from regional NSW to develop and/or present their work.
This scholarship provides assistance towards the cost of:
- Exhibiting work, including space rental, artist fees, travel, documentation.
- Professional development and education.
- Independent artistic research or practice including studio fees, residencies and travel.
FUNDING AVAILABLE
One individual or group will be awarded up to $10,000
ELIGIBILITY
- Applicants must be the visual art, craft or design practitioner/s undertaking the project.
- Applicants must be a resident of NSW and have lived more than 70km from the Sydney GPO for a minimum of five years continuously.
For detailed information regarding eligibility please see Windmill Trust Scholarship for Regional NSW Artist Terms and Conditions.
Applications close Monday 2nd September 2024, 23:59 pm AEST.
Head On Photo Awards
The Head On Photo Awards are an opportunity for emerging and established photographers to be recognised on an international platform.
This year, photographers can win from a prize pool of over $80,000 across three photo award categories: Portrait, Landscape, and Exposure. All finalists will be exhibited as a part of the Head On Photo Festival 2024 across iconic Sydney locations.
The Head On Photo Awards are open to international and Australian photographers of any level.
Don’t miss out on being a part of Australia’s leading international photography event.
Halloran Contemporary Art Prize
The Halloran Contemporary Art Prize is an acquisitive art prize that engages with and responds to the Halloran Collection: Science & the Sea.
It is open to all permanent New South Wales residents aged 18 years and over.
First, second and People’s Choice prizes will be awarded. An exhibition of the selected works will be displayed at the Museum from 14th February 2025 – 18th May 2025.
Works entered in the Prize must be produced in response to the Museum’s Science and the Sea Collection, a diverse collection displayed in the manner of an eighteenth century curiosity cabinet, or Wunderkammer, including artworks, nautical equipment, scrimshaw, navigational equipment such as sextants, figureheads, historical weapons, and much more.
The 2025 theme is ‘time’. Artists are invited to submit works created using the following mediums: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography or new media work (2D, 3D, or digital) that respond to the Halloran Collection within its historical and contemporary contexts using “time” as the inspiration.
All entries must be new work.
Entries close on close of business, Friday 29th November 2024.
Call for Submissions – BigCi Environmental Awards 2024
International and Australian artists from various fields – visual art, installation, multimedia, performance, literature, music, photography, film making, curating – are invited to submit entries for the BigCi Environmental Awards 2024.
Two Winners of the Awards will each receive (4) free weeks of BigCi residency and $4,000 prize money.
The winning artists will have an opportunity to explore the Wollemi, the Blue Mountains and the Gardens of Stone National Parks on guided walks and will be given research assistance relevant to their projects. At the end of their residencies, they will present their work at a BigCi Open Day event.
The Awards will be judged by an independent panel, to be announced shortly.
The deadline for submissions is 22 July 2024.
Winners will be announced on 18 August 2024.
There is an entry fee of $35, which must be paid at the time of sending the submission. Entry fees are not refundable.
Open Call for Artists – St George Hospital, Kogarah
Cultural Capital has been appointed by Health Infrastructure NSW to curate the art program for the new Kensington Street Building (KSB) at St George Hospital in Kogarah, NSW.
We are currently seeking expressions of interest for several art opportunities on the clinical floors of the KSB. Artists at all stages of their career are invited to register their interest. Artists living, working or who have a relationship to the St George Hospital catchment are strongly encouraged to apply.
Artists are asked to consider the curatorial theme of ‘Regeneration’ as it connects to health and wellbeing at the Hospital.