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Open Calls · Australia

Open Calls for Artists in Australia

Residencies, grants, exhibitions, and competitions across Australia. Curated and updated weekly.

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Domestic·Muswellbrook, Australia, Australia·Entry fee $50

Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize 2026

$30,000 AUD Major Prize (Acquisitive); $2,000 AUD Secondary Awards

Presented by the Australian Photographic Society, this national prize seeks conceptual photography that pushes the limits of the medium. The winning work is acquired by Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre for its permanent collection. Finalists are exhibited at the gallery from August through October 2026.

Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize 2026

Domestic·Sydney, Australia, Australia·Entry fee $55

Bowness Photography Prize 2026

AUD $50,000 prize; two Honourable Mentions AUD $2,500 each; finalists eligible for Wai Tang Commissioning Award ($10,000 commission + exhibition)

The William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize is Australia's most prestigious annual award for contemporary photography. The 2026 winner receives an acquisitive $50,000 AUD cash prize, with the winning work entering the MAPh collection. Additional awards include two $2,500 honorable mentions and a $5,000 People's Choice award supported by Camera House. Shortlisted artists receive professional exhibition opportunities and loan fees for the display of their work. The prize is open to Australian citizens and residents for works produced in the last year across any photographic style. A $55 AUD entry fee is required to support the museum's prize fund and administration. The judging panel typically includes prominent international curators and photographers. This platform offers unparalleled exposure within the Australian art market and institutional network. Finalists are announced in late summer for the September exhibition opening.

Bowness Photography Prize 2026

Later this season10

International·Sydney – Garden Gallery at Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Australia·Entry fee $20

17th Epson International Pano Awards

Over $50,000 prize pool across Amateur, Open, and VR/360 categories. Exhibition at the Garden Gallery at Botanic Gardens of Sydney. Silent auction proceeds benefit the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project. Early-bird $1,000 Curator Award.

The 17th Epson International Pano Awards is one of the world's premier panoramic photography competitions, open to photographers of all skill levels worldwide. Three competition categories are available: the Amateur Awards for non-professionals and students, the Open Awards for all photographers regardless of skill, and the VR/360 Awards also open to all. An early-bird submission period closes on June 22, 2026, with the final entry deadline on July 13, 2026. Winning and selected works will be exhibited at the iconic Garden Gallery within the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. The competition also supports conservation through a silent auction that benefits the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project.

Epson / The Pano Awards

·Nowra, NSW, Australia·Free entry

Meroogal Women's Art Prize 2026

Total prize pool over AUD $18,000: Residency Prize $8,000 (Bundanon artist residency + MHNSW membership), Exhibition Prize $8,000 (solo show at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery + MHNSW membership), Highly Commended $1,500, People's Choice $500

The Meroogal Women's Art Prize is a biennial competition celebrating women artists in New South Wales. Open to female artists aged 18 and over who are residents of NSW, the prize invites artworks responding to the historic Meroogal house and its women's histories and cultural heritage. Any medium is accepted including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and mixed media. There is no entry fee and the total prize pool exceeds AUD $18,000, including a Bundanon artist residency and a solo exhibition opportunity.

Museums of History NSW

Domestic·Gosford, NSW, Australia·Entry fee $50

Gosford Art Prize 2026

Total prize pool AUD $55,000: Major Acquisitive Prize $25,000, Ceramics Prize $10,000, First Nations Artist Prize $10,000, Moving Image Award $10,000, two Highly Commended $1,000 each, Viewer's Choice $500

The Gosford Art Prize is a prestigious annual open art competition now in its 27th year, hosted by Gosford Regional Gallery on New South Wales Central Coast. The competition is open to all Australian artists working in any medium and offers a total prize pool of AUD $55,000 across multiple categories. The major acquisitive prize of $25,000 sees the winning work join the gallery permanent collection. Specialist prizes celebrate ceramics, First Nations practice, and moving image art. Entry is $50 per work with a maximum of two entries per artist.

Gosford Regional Gallery

Domestic·Sydney, NSW, Australia·Entry fee $55

23rd Annual Paddington Art Prize – Painting

AUD $30,000 acquisitive prize plus eight additional awards

The Paddington Art Prize is a prestigious national acquisitive painting competition now in its 23rd year. Artists are invited to submit works inspired by the Australian landscape, with the top prize of $30,000 going toward acquisition of the winning painting into a private collection. The competition is open to all Australian artists working in any medium across all career stages. Eight additional category awards are also presented alongside the main prize. Entries are submitted online through the Art Galleria portal.

International·Sydney, Australia, Australia·Entry fee $50

Paddington Art Prize 2026

$30,000 AUD Major Prize (Acquisitive), Plus 8 Additional Awards

Now in its 23rd year, this premier national acquisitive prize celebrates paintings inspired by the Australian landscape. The major prize of $30,000 AUD is one of the most generous landscape painting awards in the country. The prize encourages artists to interpret the environment as a central theme in Australian contemporary art.

Paddington Art Prize 2026

Domestic·Sydney, NSW, Australia·Entry fee $55

Inaugural Paddington Sculpture Prize

AUD $10,000 non-acquisitive prize plus three additional awards

The inaugural Paddington Sculpture Prize is a new national competition running alongside the established Paddington Art Prize. Artists are invited to submit 3D free-standing sculptures inspired by the Australian landscape. The prize is non-acquisitive, meaning the winning work is celebrated but not purchased. Three additional category awards complement the main prize. Submissions are made via the Art Galleria online portal and the competition is open to all Australian sculptors regardless of career stage.

Domestic·Urunga, NSW, Australia·Entry fee $50

Urunga Small Sculpture Prize 2026

AUD $10,000 prize pool; First Prize $5,000; Tom Treacy Memorial People's Choice $1,000

The Urunga Small Sculpture Prize is an annual national competition celebrating three-dimensional art, hosted by Art Space Urunga in coastal New South Wales. Open to Australian artists, the prize accepts freestanding and wall-mounted sculptures in any medium, provided works do not exceed 50cm in any dimension and weigh no more than 20kg. All entries must be original works completed within the year prior to the August deadline. The total prize pool is AUD $10,000 with a first prize of $5,000 and a People's Choice award. Entry fee is $50 per work with no limit on the number of submissions.

Domestic·Sydney, NSW, Australia·Entry fee $50

Portia Geach Memorial Award 2026

AUD $30,000 non-acquisitive prize; People's Choice Award $1,000

The Portia Geach Memorial Award is one of Australia's most prestigious portrait prizes, dedicated exclusively to female artists. Open to Australian citizens and British-born residents who have lived in Australia for the preceding 12 months, entrants must submit a portrait painted from life of a person distinguished in Art, Letters, or the Sciences. The award is non-acquisitive and offers a cash prize of $30,000, with finalists exhibited at Sydney's S.H. Ervin Gallery. Works must be original and created between August 2025 and the August 2026 deadline. AI-generated works are ineligible.

S.H. Ervin Gallery / National Trust of Australia (NSW)

Domestic·Hahndorf, South Australia, Australia·Entry fee $0

Heysen Prize for Landscape 2026

AUD $15,000 acquisitive prize; People's Choice Award $1,000

The Heysen Prize for Landscape is a biennial contemporary art prize established in 1997 to honour Australian landscape painter Sir Hans Heysen. The prize invites artists to express their deep connection with, or concern for, protecting the Australian environment. The competition accepts 2D, 3D, and moving image works across all career stages. The $15,000 acquisitive prize sees the winning work enter a permanent collection, and a $1,000 People's Choice award is also presented. Submissions are made online with an entry fee payable through the Hahndorf Academy shop. Exhibition opens in October 2026.

Domestic·Prospect, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia·Free entry

Newmarch Gallery Exhibition Call 2027

Exhibition slot at Newmarch Gallery in 2027 (solo or group); professional exhibition opportunity

Newmarch Gallery in Prospect, South Australia, is seeking exhibition proposals from visual artists for its 2027 program. The gallery welcomes innovative artwork in 2D and 3D media, moving image, and sound art. Submissions must feature new work not previously exhibited in the Adelaide metropolitan area, and both solo and group exhibitions are accepted. Available exhibition slots span February through November 2027, with some months reserved for community programming. Artists are encouraged to arrange a pre-submission meeting with the Gallery Coordinator. Applications are submitted through an online platform.

Newmarch Gallery / City of Prospect

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30 Aug 2026

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