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Burwood Art Prize

The Burwood Art Prize is announced for 2020!

Entries are now open.

A total prize pool of $8,500 is on offer for artists, including $5,000 for Artwork of the Year, $2,500 for New and Emerging Artist and $1,000 for People’s Choice!

The Burwood Art Prize is aimed at highlighting the strong arts and culture in our area, through the medium of painting entrants are invited to showcase their artistic talents.

The competition is open to people aged 16 and over and either living, working, studying or have another demonstrated connection to Burwood, Ashfield, Canada Bay or Strathfield Local Government Areas (LGAs).

To enter please fill out the application form below, entries close 5pm 30 September 2020.

The 2020 Burwood Art Prize and all associated activities during the COVID-19 pandemic will be conducted within the NSW Heath guidelines and regulations to ensure the safety of all entrants and the community.

Entry Form

Click here to view form.

Key Entry Information

Key entry information:

Entrants must be 16 and up
Entrants must either work, live, study or have another demonstrated connection to either Burwood, Ashfield, Canada Bay or Strathfield Local Government areas to enter
One artwork is permitted per entrant
The artwork must be in the form of a painting
There is no theme for the artworks – its open to anything entrants wish to paint
Paintings must be no larger than 100cm by 100cm (including the frame) and weigh no more than 25kg (including the frame)
Paintings must be framed or have a solid backing area to allow for hooks to be attached (if your canvas is stretched over a wooden frame this will suffice as Council can attach the hooks to the wood)
If the painting depicts identifiable people or groups written consent of the people depicted must be obtained

If possible a high resolution photo of the artwork should also be uploaded to the digital entry form.

Prize Pool Information

$5,000 for Artwork of the Year (Acquisitive Prize)
$2,500 for New and Emerging Artist (Acquisitive Prize)
$1,000 for People’s Choice Award (Non-acquisitive Prize)

Artwork of the Year and New and Emerging Artist award’s will be selected by the 2020 Burwood Art Prize judging panel. The artwork with the highest number votes at the end of the exhibition will win the People’s Choice Award. Visitors and entrants will be able to vote in person when viewing the 2020 Burwood Art Prize Exhibition, with one vote per person.

Key Art Prize Dates

30 September 5pm 2020: Entries close
5 November 2020 5pm – 7pm and 8 November 2020 11am – 2pm: Artwork collection in Burwood Library and Hub
13 November 2020: Opening night Ceremony in Burwood Library and Hub, Winners announced
14 – 27 November 2020: Burwood Art Prize Exhibition in Burwood Library and Hub
29 November 2020 11am – 2pm and 30 November 3pm-7pm: Artwork Collection

Please note these dates are still to be confirmed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Once entries close all entrants will be contacted by Council via email in October to confirm dates and arrange artwork collection.

2020 Burwood Art Prize Judges

Jenny Cheeseman
Jenny Cheeseman is the Head of Curatorial at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, within this role Jenny develops exhibitions for the diverse local Liverpool audiences and artists. Jenny has over 15 years of industry experience working previously at Auburn/Cumberland Council for over 7 years as Arts Coordinator and Peacock Gallery Director delivering exhibitions and public programs for the gallery as well as public art projects. Within this role Jenny also supported the development and presentation across art forms by local artists, community groups and organisations. Jenny previously freelanced as a curator and from 2004-2007 ran a Western Sydney based Art Agency representing over 30 Artists with associated Pop-up Gallery Spaces. Jenny holds postgraduate Art Management qualifications from the University of Technology Sydney.

Rhianna Walcott
Rhianna Walcott is the Associate Director of Artereal Gallery in Rozelle, Sydney. With over 12 years industry experience, Rhianna has previously worked with the University of Sydney Art Collection and as a freelance arts writer for various contemporary art publications. Rhianna also sits on the Board of Directors for Art Month Sydney, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Young Ambassador Committee and the Artistic Advisory Council for Milk Crate Theatre.

Lachlan Warner
Lachlan Warner completed his undergraduate training at Sydney College of the Arts and his MFA at Rutgers University, USA, then completed his PhD on Art and Buddhism at Sydney College in 2017. He has been the winner of the Blake Prize (2001), the Campbelltown Contemporary Art Prize (2005), a finalist in the National Sculpture Award at the National Gallery of Australia in 2007 and the very fortunate winner of the Burwood Art Prize in 2019. He has exhibited in public and private galleries in Australia, Thailand, the United States, Japan and the Netherlands. In 2007 he was commissioned to make the Australian Buddha for the World Buddhist Congress in Kobe, Japan. His work over the last 6 years explores the imagery the Buddha used when describing the human condition of Dukkha, or suffering. Lachlan teaches Visual Art at the Australian Catholic University’s Strathfield campus.