Artist Opportunities
Are you an artist looking for your next big opportunity?
We have compiled a list of artist opportunities currently seeking applications.
2026 Art Exhibition Applications – Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is now seeking submissions for the 2026 seasonal exhibition program at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. This program provides artists with the opportunity to showcase their creative practice within the healthcare environment. By exhibiting work in the hospital, artists can help transform corridors into welcoming, engaging spaces that support connection and wellbeing for patients, families, visitors and staff.
Applications close on Sunday 2 November 2025.
Exhibition Opportunity – Young Textile & Fibre Artists
Gallery76 is thrilled to invite expressions of interest for our upcoming exhibition, Materialise.
We’re looking for bold, original work from early career artists aged 18-30 across Australia who are working in textile and/or fibre-based mediums. This is a fantastic opportunity to be showcased in a professional gallery setting — and best of all, entry is free.
Eligibility
Artists need to live in Australia.
Aged 18-30 at the time of applying.
Artwork Guidelines
Up to two artworks per applicant.
Artworks to be created predominantly of textiles and / or fibre.
Enrty Fee
None! (Although artists will be responsible for transporting their work to / from the gallery.)
Key dates
Submissions close: 14 September 2025, 11pm
Exhibition: 30 October – 24 November 2025
Proudly supported by Club Five Dock RSL.
Free gallery space for artists and curators in the Inner West
Chrissie Cotter Gallery (CCG) is Inner West Council’s exhibition space, a place to explore new ideas and connect with community.
Established in 1996, CCG has been a much-loved part of Sydney’s cultural scene for 30 years. Whether you’re emerging or established, solo or collaborative — this is your chance to exhibit in a professional, accessible space.
What you get:
- Free space to exhibit your work
- No commission on sales
- Support with access or public events (through a small stipend payment)
Who can apply:
Artists, curators, and community groups — solo or in a group.
Apply by 1 September 2025
Scene Shift Residency
The Cad Factory (Narrandera) and Brand X (Sydney) are committed to a rural and urban flow of artistic exchange and learning. This residency program gives a regional artist studio space in the Sydney CBD and gives a Sydney artist studio space in rural NSW.
The residencies will allow artists to connect with different communities, build industry connections and give time and space to develop work. It is a self-led and self-determined residency where artists can explore their practice within a different context. The aim of the program is to have meaningful dialogue between the art ecologies of regional and metropolitan NSW.
Brand X will host a regional artist in their City of Sydney Creative Studios (CoSCS). This opportunity is appropriate for individuals or collectives of two working in visual arts, interdisciplinary arts, design, performing arts, sound, writers, and researchers.
The Cad Factory will host metro artist in their Sandigo recording studio. This opportunity is appropriate for individuals or collectives of two working in experimental sound, music, site-specific/ environmental/community inclusive arts, interdisciplinary arts, and performing arts.
The aim of the program is to have meaningful dialogue between the art ecologies of regional and metropolitan New South Wales. The residencies will allow artists to connect with different communities, build industry connections and have time and space to develop work. It is a self-led and self-determined residency where artists can explore their practice within a different context.
Close: Thursday, 7th August 2025
Kogarah Historical Society 2025 Local History Awards
Kogarah Historical Society has much pleasure in announcing the 2025 Local History Prizes. Two prizes are offered of $1000 for the winner and $500 for runner-up. Essays can be on any aspect of the history of Kogarah and surrounding areas of St George and can include environmental heritage, built heritage, events and personalities.
Essays can be up to 5,000 words.
Closing Date for entries – 12 December 2025
Call for Submissions – BigCi Environmental Awards 2025
Artists from all fields are invited to submit entries for the BigCi Environmental Awards 2025.
Two Winners of the Awards will each receive (4) free weeks of BigCi residency and AUD$5,000 prize money.
The winning artists will also be able 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 of judges.
The deadline for submissions is 24 August 2025.
Winners will be announced on 12 September 2025.
White Rabbit Gallery – Digital Call-Out
The WRG Digital Call-Out invites emerging artists and designers to respond to a theme and create an animation/artwork for the White Rabbit Gallery website landing page.
There will be two digital call-outs each year, with each round’s theme aligning with a new exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery.
The winner will have their winning artwork showcased on the White Rabbit Gallery website landing page 24/7 for a duration of 5 months, promotion via the White Rabbit Gallery social media channels, receive a $2,000 AUD artists’ fee and have access to professional support and guidance from award-winning creative agency and design studio, Spring in Alaska. Their work and artist biography will also become a permanent part of the WRG Digital Archive.
Hill End Analogue Photography Festival
The Hill End Analogue Photography Festival returns in November 2025 with an exciting new program of exhibitions, installations, artist talks, and workshops. Twenty selected artists will explore the theme FUGITIVE across a diverse practice of analogue photography. Presented by the Hill End Arts Council Inc., this free, biennial festival bringscontemporary analogue photography into vivid conversation with Hill End’s photographiclegacy.
The village of Hill End, NSW, is an 1870’s Historic Site administered by National Parks and Wildlife NSW. It is an intact historic village of great significance in the history ofAustralian Photography, depicted in the contemporaneous ‘Holtermann Collection’ heldin the State Library of NSW.
Hill End Arts Council Inc. (HEAC) is a not-for-profit community organisation that supports the development and presentation of contemporary arts practice in Hill End, NSW. Through initiatives like the Hill End Analogue Photography Festival, HEAC seeks to create opportunities in contemporary art.
Artists are invited to respond to the theme FUGITIVE and submit proposals for inclusion in the 2025 festival program.
Head On Photo Awards are open for 2025!
Australia’s leading international photography awards are back and better than ever, with a prize pool of over $75,000 across three award categories: Portrait, Landscape and Exposure.
And, to support younger photographers, anyone aged under 25 will receive a 50% discount to enter the Awards.
- Judged without artists’ names
- $75,000 prize pool including cash and product
- One overall winner and two runners-up per category
- 100 finalists
- 200 semi-finalists
- Finalists’ work exhibited in Head On Photo Festival 2025 in print and online
Submissions close 27 July.
MAC yapang Art Prize
MAC yapang Art Prize is a national, acquisitive art prize.
This new Art Prize has a total prize pool of $40,000 and is open to artists from all disciplines across Australia, with artworks in any medium.
The winning artist of the acquisitive prize will be awarded $30,000, and their artwork will be acquired by the Museum of Art and Culture, yapang (MAC yapang) for their permanent collection.
Finalists will have their artworks displayed in the MAC yapang Art Prize exhibition. Prizes
$30,000 acquisitive prize – This prize will be awarded to the winning artist, whose artwork will be acquired by MAC yapang for our permanent collection
$5,000 yapang Award – This will be awarded to an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander artist working in any medium
$5,000 Lake Art Award – This award is for residents of the Lake Macquarie Local Government Area
Entry is $30 per artwork, or $25 for Lake Mac Arts Members. All artworks must be for sale.
Entries close 3pm, 30 July 2025.
Calleen Art Award 2025
The Calleen Art Award is an annual acquisitive painting prize and exhibition. It presents the best of contemporary Australian painting in any style, theme or subject.
The Award was established in 1977 as an acquisitive art prize by Mrs Patricia Fagan OAM to encourage originality, creativity and excellence in the visual arts, and is made possible by the generous support of the Calleen Trust.
The Calleen Art Award 2025 is open to artists across Australia and this year’s award prize is $30,000. The winning artwork will join the Calleen Collection at Cowra Regional Art Gallery.
Entries Open until 6 July 2025
The Windmill Trust Scholarship 2025
For regional artists: professional development, exhibition opportunities, or to deepen research with a $10,000 scholarship.
Established in 1997 in memory of the artist Penny Meagher, the emphasis of the Windmill Trust Scholarship is to support visual artists from regional NSW to take up career development and/or presentation opportunities for their work.
The Windmill Trust Scholarship supports artists in various career aspects, including independent artistic research or practice, professional development, exhibiting and presenting work in new ways. Financial support encompasses studio rental, materials or labour costs, framing, space rental, promotion, artists’ fees, freight, installation, and documentation.
For more information or to submit an application, visit: regionalartsnsw.com.au/windmill-trust-scholarship
Funding available
One individual or group will be awarded up to $10,000.
This scholarship provides assistance towards the cost of:
• Exhibiting work, including space rental, artist fees, travel, and documentation.
• Professional development and education.
• Independent artistic research or practice, including studio fees, residencies and travel.
Applications close Monday 7 July 2025, midnight AEST.
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.