Welcome to the 2024 Graduate Art Prize
This annual event is a celebration that highlights the extraordinary creativity of graduate students. Held at The Arts Centre Melbourne, this vibrant event showcases talent and innovation. Shortlisted artists compete for the prestigious First Place Award, featuring a substantial cash prize of $3,000, along with other cash prizes.
Submit your artwork
Prizes
Cash prizes will be awarded to our winners. The winners will be judged by a panel of experts in our community and the People’s Choice Award will be determined by you! Information on voting for the People’s Choice Award will be available after submissions close.
- First Prize – $3,000 cash prize
- Second Prize – $1,000 cash prize
- Third Prize – $750 cash prize
- People’s Choice Award – $500 cash prize
- Personal Experience Award – $500 cash prize
- The Global Awareness Award – $250 cash prize
- Innovation Award – $250 cash prize
Theme: Reflection
This theme was chosen in light of GSA’s 30th anniversary this year. It’s a chance for GSA to look back on its journey over the past three decades, honoring its history while also considering what lies ahead.
Key Dates:
- Entries open: 9am, Friday 31st May
- Entries close: 5pm, Monday 29th July
- Pre-selection process: 29th July- 2nd August
- Art prize ceremony: 23rd August
The process:
- Familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions and entry and submission requirements.
- Get creating! Ensure your artwork adheres to the theme and don’t forget about your artist statement. You will need to take a high-quality. photograph of your artwork to submit, please make sure this adheres to the submission guidelines as all the artworks will be displayed in A2 size (420mm x 594mm) portrait or landscape.
- Submit your artwork between 9am, Friday 31st May until 5pm, Monday 29th July.
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To streamline the pre-selection process, you have the option of uploading any working files that demonstrate you created your artwork. Examples include; photos taken while painting or making your piece. If submitting a photograph, you can provide additional images from the same location. For digital artwork, consider uploading the working files.
- The pre-selection process will take place during the week of 29th July – 2nd August. Please keep an eye on your email using this time if GSA needs additional information from you about your artwork.
- You will receive an email if you have been successful or not in entering the art prize.
- If successful, you and 1 guest will be invited to attend the art prize ceremony on 23rd August and your artwork will be eligible for a prize.
Categories
To ensure eligibility, submissions must fit into one of the listed categories below. It’s important to note that participants will be judged based on digital photographs of their original work, which they must provide. The actual original artwork will not be submitted at any stage of the process.
| Painting | Woodwork | Leatherwork | Digital Art |
| Pottery/Ceramics | Mixed-Material Objects | Photography | Drawing |
| Fibre/textiles | Recycled Materials | Sculpture | Glasswork |
| Metalwork | Jewellery | Plastics | Printmaking |
This competition is open exclusively to currently enrolled University of Melbourne postgraduate students. GSA Staff (including casual student staff members), Board, Representative, and Faculty Council members are ineligible to participate.
This year, the GSA Art Prize Ceremony will be held at the Art Centre Melbourne whilst also hosting a virtual gallery online. Due to the delicate nature of collecting original artworks, and to make the Art Prize more accessible, only digital copies of artworks will be accepted. This means if you have created a 2D or 3D work of art you will need to take a photograph of your work.
Please ensure that you are submitting a clear photograph of your work as we will be displaying these on our website, digital brochure and at the Art Prize Ceremony. For the Ceremony, the artwork will be professionally printed onto A2 paper for display at The Art Centre, so ensure you comply with the dimensions listed below. If your artwork does not meet the A2 size requirement it may be cropped in the printing process.
- Minimum artwork upload dimensions are 1190 x 1683px (or equivalent to A2: 420 x 594 mm)
- Minimum quality 300dpi
- Can be landscape or portrait
Artist Statement:
- Your artists statement must be 170 words max
- File types:
- We accept file types of JPG, JPEG, PNG
- Maximum file upload of 10mb
GSA does not take responsibility for low-quality submissions if they do not meet the minimum requirements.
Working files:
To streamline the pre-selection process, please upload any working files that demonstrate you created your artwork. Examples include photos taken while painting or making your piece. If submitting a photograph, you can provide additional images from the same location. For digital artwork, consider uploading the working files.
This step is optional. However, if you don’t provide proof of creating your artwork, you may be contacted during pre-selection to supply it quickly. If you can’t upload your working files due to size restrictions, please email them to artprize@gsa.unimelb.edu after submitting your application.
As the GSA Graduate Art Prize continues to grow in popularity and attract a wealth of talented graduate student artists, we’re implementing a new submissions process this year to accommodate the increasing number of submissions and ensure the highest standard of artwork.
All artworks submitted will undergo a pre-judging phase to streamline the selection process. This step allows us to manage the influx of submissions effectively while maintaining the integrity of the competition.
Only those artworks that selected during the submissions process will be showcased at the GSA Graduate Art Prize ceremony, held at the Melbourne Arts Centre and eligible for a prize.
From all artworks that are submitted, a maximum of 100 will be selected as finalists for inclusion in the Graduate Art Prize and be eligible to win prizes.
The decision of the selection panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into by the Art Prize Organisers.
The pre-selection process will happen between 29th July – 2nd August, so please keep an eye on your emails during this time.
To ensure a successful entry into the GSA Graduate Art Prize 2024, keep these crucial tips in mind:
Originality is key: Craft an artwork that is uniquely yours. Judges value originality, so let your creativity and individuality shine through in your submission.
Align with the theme: Ensure that your artwork resonates with this year’s theme of ‘Reflection’. Your piece should effectively convey your interpretation of the theme to captivate the audience.
Artist statement matters: Your artist statement is your opportunity to provide context and depth to your artwork. Be sure to discuss how your piece relates to the theme, offering insights into your creative process and intentions.
Read and understand the rules: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the competition terms and conditions, including rules on eligibility, submission requirements, and deadlines. Remember, only original artwork that fits the theme will be considered. Failure to comply could result in disqualification, so pay close attention to detail.
Document your creation: Provide evidence of your artwork’s creation process to validate its originality. This could include progress photos, sketches, or other documentation that showcases your creative journey.
Quality: Be sure to submit a high-quality photograph of your work. Submitting a low-quality or blurry photograph may result in not passing the submission process.
Stay informed: Keep a close eye on your email for updates, notifications, and any requests for additional information regarding your submission. Prompt responses and adherence to guidelines are essential for a smooth entry process.
By following these tips and guidelines, you’ll maximize your chances of creating a compelling and successful entry into the GSA Graduate Art Prize 2024. Let your creativity soar, and best of luck with your submission!
The judging panel is made up of an independant selection of experts in their field. Occasionally we also invite previous winners to participate as guest judges.
More information on the 2024 judging panel will be released soon.
The Graduate Art Prize will be held on the evening of August 23rd 2024 at the Melbourne Arts Centre. Students are only eligible for a prize if they attend the ceremony or a GSA pre-approved delegate attends on their behalf. Each accepted submission will receive 1 ticket for the artist and 1 ticket for 1 additional guest to the Award Ceremony.
More information on the awards ceremony will be sent to eligible participants closer to the date.
Please familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions before entering the competition. The terms and conditions can be found by clicking here
For queries please email artprize@gsa.unimelb.edu.au