Categories

Footscray Art Prize categories:

  • Footscray Art Prize ($20,000)

  • Local Acquisition Prize ($10,000)

  • Residency Artist Prize ($2,000)

  • Young Artists Prize for primary students ($500) and secondary students ($500)

Read more below about the eligibility requirements for each of the categories:

 Footscray Art Prize (main)

The coveted Footscray Art Prize is the main category of this competition.

It invites artists from across Australia and multiple visual art practises to go in the running for the $20,000 prize, which has been doubled from previous years to acknowledge the impact of COVID-19 on visual artists.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Must be an Australian resident aged 18 and over

  • The artwork must be an original artistic work, which includes but is not limited to paintings, drawings, photographs, engravings, sculptures and installations, digital and video work

  • The artwork submitted must not:

    • have not been previously exhibited for an art prize

    • have been created more than two years prior to the 2023 exhibition start date

    • exceed 1.4 metres x 2 metres x 1.4 metres (depth) or 30kg in weight

  • Maximum of two entries. Read more about this in our FAQs.

  • Entry fee of $35 is applicable per artwork entered.

SUB-CATEGORIES

Entrants may also nominate to enter into two sub-categories at no extra fee:

LOCAL PRIZE (ACQUISITIVE)

(MARIBYRNONG CITY COUNCIL ART & HERITAGE COLLECTION)

Maribyrnong City Council will select a winning artwork to be acquired into the Maribyrnong City Council art collection in exchange for a $10,000 prize.

  • Entry is open only to residents of the Local Government Areas of Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Brimbank, Melton, Moonee Valley, and Wyndham.

  • The winner is selected by Maribyrnong City Council, based on its relevance to the themes and acquisition criteria of Maribyrnong City Council’s Art and Heritage Collections Policy. Key themes include:

    • Our Environment (Maribyrnong’s natural and urban landscape, rivers, landmarks, built heritage and Country);

    • Our People (social, political, economic, cultural, historic);

    • Our Growth (industry, workforce, working conditions, travel, communications);

    • Our Identity (waves of migration, demographics, communities, social histories); and

    • Our Culture (First Nations cultural heritage, historic and contemporary art movements, diversity, creativity, debate and ideas).

RESIDENCY ARTIST PRIZE

A non-acquisitive Prize for artists to explore new ideas.              

  • Minimum two-week (maximum three month) artistic residency at Footscray Community Arts (does not include accommodation).

  • The winner will be awarded $2,000 towards an artist fee, materials and costs incurred by the artist as part of the residency and accompanying showing.

  • The winner of the Footscray Art Prize (main) will be ineligible for the Residency Artist Prize.

HOW TO ENTER

All entries must be submitted online via footscrayartprize.awardsplatform.com.

Entries open on Monday 3 October 2022 and close at midday on Monday 20 March 2023.

Read the Terms & Conditions prior to entering the Prize.

Young Artists Prize

This category celebrates the unbridled creativity of young people from Melbourne’s West.

It is free to enter and all artworks are displayed in the exhibition!

eligibility

  • Entry is open to students who are Australian residents aged 18 and under who live or attend school in the Western Region Local Government Areas of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley, Wyndham and Hume.

  • The artwork must not exceed 1.4 metres x 2 metres x 1.4 metres (depth) or 30kg in weight.

  • Only one entry per-person.

  • There is no entry fee.

  • The artwork must be available for exhibition at Footscray Community Arts from 15 July – 6 August 2023 (this does not include installation dates).

  • Students under 16 must have a completed parent/guardian consent form.

There are two entry categories, based on your school level as of 1 February 2022:

  • Primary school.

  • Secondary school.

The winner in each entry category is awarded $500.

how to enter

All entries must be submitted online via footscrayartprize.awardsplatform.com.

Entries open on Monday 3 October 2022 and close at noon on Monday 20 March 2023.

Read the Terms & Conditions prior to entering the Prize.

For entrants under 16, a parent or guardian must complete a consent form and attach it to the online entry. Download the consent form.