Welcome to the 2025 Graduaute 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.
Entries open 9am, Monday 16th June
Prizes
Cash prizes will be awarded to our winners and artworks will be judged by a panel of experts in our community.
- First Prize – $3,000 cash prize
- Second Prize – $1,000 cash prize
- Third Prize – $750 cash prize
- Personal Experience Award – $500 cash prize
- The Global Awareness Award – $500 cash prize
- Innovation Award – $500 cash prize
- *Australian Indigenous Art Prize – $500 cash prize
*This award recognises and encourages inspiring creative work by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. It celebrates unique perspectives and artistic expression, and eligible students may also be considered for all other prizes in the competition.
Theme: Seen and Unseen
The theme ‘Seen and Unseen’ for the GSA Graduate Art Prize 2025 invites artists to explore the visible and invisible forces that shape our world, identities, and experiences. From overlooked moments and hidden emotions to the contrast between public and private selves, this theme encourages reflection on what is revealed, what remains concealed, and the stories that lie in between.
This theme was chosen to spark conversation around visibility, recognition, and the complex, often layered realities of graduate life.
Key Dates:
- Entries open: 9am, Monday 16th June
- Entries close: 5pm, Wednesday 30th July
- Selection process: 31st July – 6th August
- Art prize ceremony: 29th August
The Process
Before entering, please familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions, entry criteria, and submission requirements.
Step 1: Create your work
Make sure your artwork responds to the 2025 theme ‘Seen and Unseen’. You’ll also need to write a short artist statement. Once finished, take a high-quality photo of your work to submit—this image must meet the submission guidelines, as all selected works will be displayed in A2 size (420mm x 594mm), either portrait or landscape.
Step 2: Submit your entry
Submissions are open from 9am, Monday 16 June until 5pm, Wednesday 30 July.
To help streamline the selection process, we encourage you to upload optional working files that demonstrate you created the artwork. For example:
– Progress photos of your piece
– Alternate shots from a photo shoot
– PSD or design files (for digital works)
Step 3: Selection process
The selection process helps us identify the most original and theme-responsive works to move forward to final judging. Entries that appear to use AI, copy copyrighted material, lack originality, don’t align with the theme, or fall short of quality standards will not proceed.
The selection process takes place from 31 July – 6 August. Keep an eye on your email during this time as we may contact you for further information.
Step 4: Results
All entrants will be notified of their outcome by email. Please note that individual feedback for unsuccessful entries cannot be provided.
If your work is selected, you and one guest will be invited to the GSA Graduate Art Prize Ceremony on 29 August. The image of your artwork that you submitted will be printed on high quality A2 paper and displayed at the ceremony and all prizes will be announced on the night.
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.
Please note: video, multimedia, and moving image works are not eligible for this competition. If your work falls into one of these formats, we encourage you to enter the GSA Short Film Prize instead.
| Painting | Woodwork | Leatherwork | Digital Art |
| Pottery/Ceramics | Mixed-Material Objects | Photography | Drawing |
| Fibre/textiles | Recycled Materials | Sculpture | Glasswork |
| Metalwork | Jewellery | Plastics | Printmaking |
Frequently Asked Questions
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 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, all artworks submitted will undergo a selection process.
Only original artwork that fits the theme will be considered and entries that appear to use AI, copy copyrighted material, lack originality, don’t align with the theme, or fall short of quality standards will not proceed.
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.
The decision of the selection panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into by the Art Prize Organisers.
The selection process will happen between 31st July – 6th August, so please keep an eye on your emails during this time.
To ensure a successful entry into the GSA Graduate Art Prize 2025, 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 ‘Seen and Unseen’. 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 2025. Let your creativity soar, and best of luck with your submission!
The judging panel is made up of an independent selection of experts in their field. Occasionally we also invite previous winners to participate as guest judges.
More information on the 2025 judging panel will be released soon.
The Graduate Art Prize will be held on the evening of August 29th 2025 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 an 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
Contact
For queries please email artprize@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
The 2024 Graduate Art Prize Winners
