The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is inviting artists to register for the 2019 Art Prize, with more than $37,000 in prize money up for grabs and the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition in the Goldfields Arts Centre gallery.
Registrations opened Monday 1 July 2019, with City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder CEO John Walker announcing this year’s theme would be “A Place to Call Home”.
“This theme really lends itself to a myriad of concepts, such as beginnings, ancestry, origins, belonging and identity. Artists can tailor this to any medium and we encourage people to draw inspiration from what ‘home’ means to them.
“One of the key visions of the City is to be a place people will call home; and this year’s Art Prize will be a great way to visually celebrate this.
“The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize is a great opportunity to recognise, celebrate and embrace our creative industries. Last year’s move to the Goldfields Arts Centre proved to be a success, and we are looking to build on that, and really showcase the Goldfields Arts Centre as the City’s premiere Arts facility,” he said.
Registrations are encouraged across a range of mediums including sculpture, jewellery, up-cycled art, photography and painting to ensure a vibrant curation at the Goldfields Arts Centre for those attending the extended month-long exhibition.
2019 Award Categories
Overall Award $20,000 - Acquistional Major Prize
First Nations Art Award $3,500 - open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists
Best Artwork by a Kalgoorlie-Boulder Artist $3,500 - open to artists currently residing in the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
Emerging Young Artist $2,000 - open to artists aged 12 to 18 years of age
Emerging Artist $2,000 - open to artists aged 19 to 25 years of age
Best Painting $1,000 - a painting in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel or mixed media
Best Photography $1,000 - an original photograph
Best Sculpture (3D) $1,000 - artists working in sculpture or 3 dimensional focused practice
Best Jewellery $1,000 - jewellery showcasing technique and creativity
Best Upcycled Art $1,000 - an original artwork created from reused or recycled materials, any medium will be accepted including fashion, art, sculpture, jewellery
People’s Choice Award $1,000 - decided by public vote and announced before the final weekend of the exhibition
Bonus Prize, The Packers Award $500 - this prize is awarded to the best piece as determined by the curators of the exhibition
The City will further support local artists by offering a number of workshops on different art techniques, beginning with a felting class at Fossick and Co on Sunday 7 July 2019.
An esteemed panel of judges from across Western Australia will visit Kalgoorlie-Boulder in September to judge all entries, with the winners announced at the invitation-only Art Prize Awards night on Friday 20 September 2019.
Registrations are now open online and will close Monday 12 August 2019. Local artists have until Monday 2 September 2019 to drop off their artwork to the Goldfields Arts Centre.
View the winners and photo gallery of the 2018 Art Prize.