The St Columba’s Art Prize is a competitive, non-acquisitive competition and exhibition. The St Columba’s Art Prize is organised and sponsored by St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood, and delivered in partnership with the St Columba’s Art Prize Project Team. The St Columba’s Art Prize Project Team shall hereafter be referred to as the Organisers.

1. ELIGIBILITY

1.1 The St Columba’s Art Prize (Open category) is open to all permanent Australian residents aged 18 years and over (as at 1 May 2026) with the exception of participating judges, and the St Columba’s Art Prize Project Team and their immediate family.

1.2 The St Columba’s Art Prize (Youth category) is open to all permanent Australian residents aged 12 to 19-years-old (as at 1 May 2026) who are currently or who have been enrolled in an Australian secondary school, in the last 12 months at the time of entry with the exception of participating judges, and the St Columba’s Art Prize Project Team and their immediate family. Student ID is required on entry.

1.3 All artworks must be original work by the artist and commenced and completed by the entrant within the last fifteen (15) months (January 2026 – March 2027).

1.4 Works must not have been exhibited in a previous art competition, award or prize within NSW.

1.5 The submission process welcomes artworks in all mediums, including but not limited to: painting, drawing, mixed media, textiles, sculpture, ceramics and printmaking. However, photographic and digital works, video, digitally printed works and all AI-generated art are not accepted. There is no specified theme.

1.6 The organisers reserves the right to reject submissions which are either offensive and/or contain sensitive themes unsuitable for the school venue. This may include works that reference nudity, violence, abuse, sex or political works. These submissions will be removed prior to the selection process.

2. ENTRY SUBMISSION AND FEE

2.1 Entries to the 2027 St Columba’s Art Prize open Monday 1 December 2026 and close at 4pm (AEST), Tuesday 2 March 2027.

2.2 Entries (including digital images of the artwork) are to be submitted online at www.columbasartprize.com.au

2.3 One image is required to complete an entry submission. Artists entering sculpture may submit two photos of their entry. Digital photographs of artwork must be in jpeg format and maximum 3MB.

2.4 The image submitted with entry will be examined by the panel to select finalists for the exhibition.

2.5 An entry comprises of a completed online submission including digital image/s of the artwork and payment of a non-refundable entry fee of $30.00 (including GST) per artwork. Student entry fee of $10.00 per artwork. Payment of entry fee is to be made online at the time of submitting the entry.

2.6 All Open prize submissions require an artist statement, maximum 100 words.

2.7 Entries from all levels of experience welcome

2.8 There is a maximum of two (2) entries per person. A separate entry form must be completed for each entry.

3. ST COLUMBA’S YOUTH ART AWARD

3.1 To be eligible for St Columba’s Youth Art Award, artists must be a current resident of Australia, aged from 12- to 19-years-old and enrolled at an Australian secondary school in 2026.

4. PREPARATION OF ARTWORK

4.1 Any works proposed to be hung must be appropriately mounted with D-rings. D-rings should be a minimum size of 10mm. Please contact the Organisers for further information if required.

4.2 Works with hanging wire, inappropriate cord, screw eyes, other protruding metal or wire will not be accepted. 

4.3 No wet artworks will be accepted.

4.4 A label clearly marked with artist’s name, phone number, title of work and price must be attached to the back or base of each artwork, sculptures included. These details must be the same as the entry form.

4.5 Where the artwork consists of multiples, a photograph illustrating the set-up of the multiples must be attached to the work with the label.

4.6 The Organisers reserve the right to not exhibit the work if the earlier images submitted are not an adequate representation of the actual work received and/or if work is received not ready to hang.

5. SIZE AND WEIGHT OF ARTWORK

5.1 The maximum size of 2-dimensional works (including the framing) entered in the Prize is limited to one hundred and fifty centimetres (150cm) width/height, including wall space between artworks in multiple panel parts and a maximum weight of 15kg including frame.

5.2 Artworks in multiple parts are acceptable but must be considered as a single work. A work of multiple parts must not exceed overall size limits when displayed.

5.3 Sculptural works, including relief sculpture, are limited to eighty-five centimetres (85cm) width/height/depth and a weight of 40kg. Artists are advised to contact the Organisers if further information or clarification is required.

5.4 When selecting sculpture finalists, consideration will be given to:

• Safety, particularly considering the exhibition site hosts a wide range of users. While security will be provided, the site may not be constantly monitored and supervised for the exhibition period.
• Transportation and installation requirements.
• Outdoor sculptures are to be able to withstand all local weather conditions.
• Sculptures are not to detach, collapse, or cause harm to people or property while being exhibited.
• Sculptures are to be stable and sharp or protruding edges or spikes controlled to prevent an injury.
• Sculptures are to be suitable for viewing by all age groups.
• The number of sculptures for exhibition will be restricted to the space available at the site.

6. EXHIBITION OF ARTWORK

6.1 St Columba’s Art Prize Finalists Exhibition will take place at Brauer Hall, St Columba’s Catholic College, 168 Hawkesbury Road Springwood NSW 2777. It will run from Friday 14 May to Thursday 20 May, 2027.

6.2 All works selected for the exhibition will be listed on the St Columba’s Art Prize website on Tuesday 6 April 2027 at www.columbasartprize.com.au

6.3 Artists will be advised by email of their inclusion in the exhibition.

6.4 All works selected for exhibition must remain on show for the duration of the exhibition. No early collection can be accommodated.

6.5 Curatorial responsibility for the St Columba’s Art Prize Finalists Exhibition is maintained by the Organisers. All artworks are hung in the best relative position as determined by the the Organisers.

6.6 The St Columba’s Art Prize Finalists Exhibition Award Ceremony will be held on Friday 14 May 2027 at Brauer Hall, St Columba’s Catholic College Springwood, 168 Hawkesbury Road Springwood NSW 2777.

7. DELIVERY OF ARTWORK

7.1 All artworks selected for exhibition must be delivered to Brauer Hall St Columba’s Catholic College on Thursday 6 or Friday 7 May 2027, between 8–10am or 2-4pm. Delivery of artworks will also be accepted by courier or Australia Post between 27 April – 7 May. We are not able to accept courier deliveries during school holidays or outside of school hours. If circumstances prohibit an artist from delivering their work/s at the set time, the artist is advised to contact the Organisers.

7.2 All delivery and collection costs are the responsibility of the artist.

7.3 Artists delivering in person must not leave their packaging material at the venue.

7.4 Works not delivered at the designated time will be ineligible for exhibition and disqualified from final adjudication.

8. COLLECTION OF ARTWORK

8.1 Artists must collect their work/s from Brauer Hall, St Columba’s Catholic College, Springwood, on Friday 21 May 2027 between 12–4pm.

8.2 Courier and postage return deliveries can be arranged between 26 –28 May. Prepaid postage labels may be supplied with artwork or return postage and handling payment made via trybooking link at the conclusion of the exhibition.

8.2 If circumstances prohibit an artists from collecting their work/s at the set time, the artist is advised to contact the Organisers to make alternative arrangements.

8.3 Any work/s not collected or alternative arrangements made by 1 June 2027 will be disposed of at the Organisers’ discretion.

9. SELECTION AND ADJUDICATION

9.1 The judging panel will select artworks for exhibition based on digital photographs submitted as part of the entry process. The final adjudication will take place once the exhibition has been installed.

9.2 All prizes will be awarded on the advice of the judges, with the exception of the People’s Choice Award. The winner of the William Fletcher Emerging Artist Prize will be determined by judges from the William Fletcher Foundation. The winner of the WSU SEED Lab Prize will be determined by judges from WSU SEED Lab.

All judges’ decisions are final and no further correspondence regarding the awarding of prizes will be entered into.

9.3 Voting for the People’s Choice Award will close on Thursday 20 May 2027 at 2.30pm. The winner will be notified by phone and email and announced on the St Columba’s Art Prize website and social media channels.

9.3.1 The People’s Choice Award is open to all exhibiting artworks. Each visitor to the event will be encouraged to vote for their favourite artwork. The winner is the artwork with the most votes. Where two or more artworks have the same number of votes, a blind draw of the winner will be conducted.

9.4 Entrants shall not offer any gifts, hospitality, or other inducements to judges or the Organisers for the duration of the competition and exhibition. The offer of any gifts, hospitality, or other inducements to judges may result in the disqualification of the entrant’s artwork from the competition.

9.5 The Organisers reserve the right to not award a particular prize in any category if they consider the entered works are not of sufficient merit.

10. PRIZES

10.1 Prizes will be detailed at www.columbasartprize.com.au.

11. SALE OF ARTWORKS

11.1 All artworks (except student entries in youth category) exhibited in the St Columba’s Art Prize are for sale at the price noted on the entry submission. Artwork details, including price, will not be changed after submission. Artists must check their entries for spelling errors before submission.

11.2 The St Columba’s Art Prize will coordinate the sale of works and charge a commission of 25%. 

Artists note: if artists are represented by a commercial gallery, artists should confirm commission with their dealer before entering. 

11.4 Artists will be notified within one (1) day of the sale of their artwork. The exhibition and competition is non-acquisitive and there is no guarantee of the sale of work.

11.5 Transport, removal, and insurance of the purchased artwork is the responsibility of the purchaser and artist. Where requested by a purchaser, artists are to assist with the delivery of the purchased artwork.

11.6 Artist payments are finalised up to 30 days after the exhibition’s end.

12. INSURANCE

12.1 The Organisers will take all reasonable care but will not be responsible for any loss or damage to any artwork whilst in their custody. The Organisers do not insure the works whilst in transit, in storage, or on exhibition. Artists must arrange their own insurance to cover potential damage, loss, or theft.

13. COPYRIGHT

13.1 Copyright for submitted works remains the property of the entrant.

13.2 Finalist entrants grant the Organisers non-exclusive license to use images of their work, in print and online, within Australia, for a three-year (3) period, for the purpose of promoting the St Columba’s Art Prize.

13.2.1 Finalist entrants grant the Organisers non-exclusive license to use images of their work in perpetuity for the purpose of the creation of a permanent, public digital record of St Columba’s Art Prize Finalist’s Exhibition.

13.2.2 Where an artist objects to the inclusion of their work in this publicly available digital record, they may email the Organisers to arrange the removal of the image.

13.3 When an image is used, the artist and title of the work will be acknowledged.

13.4 Images will be used for non-commercial purposes only.

13.5 If the Organisers would like to use an artwork for a purpose other than promoting the St Columba’s Art Prize they will contact the artist directly to seek approval.

14. ATTRIBUTION

14.1 Artists will be credited both online and alongside their physical artworks when on display.

15. PRIVACY

15.1 All personal information collected by the Organisers will be used solely for the purpose of the delivery of the St Columba’s Art Prize.

16. DISCLAIMER

At the time of writing, the above information is correct to the best of our knowledge. The St Columba’s Art Prize reserves the right to make changes or amendments to deadlines, programming, awards, and participation conditions.

Whist diligence and care have been exercised in compiling and publishing the information contained in these pages, the Organisers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions or changes to the information. The St Columba’s Art Prize is a not-for-profit program and has agreements with, and receives funding from, various stakeholders including government institutions.