Gosford Regional Gallery is pleased to present Gosford Art Prize 2026
The competition is open to artists across Australia and attracts entries in all mediums. This year, the prize pool is valued at $55,000 and includes the acquisitive Gosford Art Prize worth $25,000, the Gosford Ceramics Prize $10,000, the First Nations Artist Prize $10,000 and the Moving Image Art Award $10,000.
The Gosford Art Prize started as a community-driven project in 1970 and has grown to become one of the highlights of the Gallery’s exhibition calendar and an important part of the cultural landscape of the Central Coast. The 2026 iteration is the 27th time the prize will be presented at Gosford Regional Gallery.
The Gosford Art Prize 2026 Judges are:
Dean Cross – Artist and winner of the Gosford Art Prize 2025 First Nations Artist Prize
Sally Dan-Cuthbert – Curator and Director of Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert
Dean Cross was born and raised on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country and is a Worimi man through his paternal bloodline. Interested in the collisions of materials, ideas and histories, Cross is motivated by an understanding that his practice sits within a continuum of the oldest living culture on Earth – and enacts First Nations sovereignty through expanded contemporary art methodologies. His cross-disciplinary practice often confronts the legacies of modernism, rebalancing dominant cultural and social histories.
Sally Dan-Cuthbert has worked as a curator, art specialist and industry-respected independent art advisor for over 35 years. Dan-Cuthbert works closely with artists, designers, architects and collectors to facilitate meaningful exchange and thoughtful collecting practice. As Director of Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Dan-Cuthbert represents local and international artists and designers, delivering an intergenerational programme of contemporary art, objet d’art and collectible design.
KEY DATES
25 May Entries open
20 July Entries close 4pm
7 August Finalists announced
25 September 6pm Exhibition Opening Event and Awards presentation
26 September Exhibition Opens
22 November Exhibition Closes
PRIZE CATAGORIES AND AWARDS
Gosford Art Prize Major Acquisitive Prize $25,000
Gosford Ceramic Prize $10,000
First Nations Artist Prize $10,000
Moving Image Art Award $10,000
Highly Commended Awards x 2 $1,000 each
Viewer’s Choice Award $500
Gosford Art Prize 2026 Terms and Conditions
ARTWORK
Gosford Art Prize 2026 is open to artwork in any medium, Gosford Ceramics Prize is limited to works that are predominately ceramic medium, the Moving Image Art Award is limited to artworks that are predominately made with moving images. See below for Moving Image entry, size and display specifications.
All artworks must have been finished within 12 months prior to July 20, 2026, Work must not exceed two (2) metres in any one direction and should be easily lifted by two people. Moving Image artworks may be displayed larger than two meters square at the discretion of Gosford Regional Gallery staff due to the nature of the variable screen or projection size available at the gallery. Work must be presented ready for exhibition with appropriate display fixtures. The artist’s name, address, telephone number, title of work and retail price (or “NFS” if not for sale) must be noted on the back or bottom of each work.
ENTRY PROCEDURE
All entries must be submitted online via the website, entries will open 25 May 2026
For an entry to be valid it must:
– be correctly filled out and submitted by 4:00PM on 20 July 2026
– include at least one uploaded image of the entered artwork
– have appropriate entry fee paid
ENTRY FEE
Gosford Art Prize 2026 entry fee is $50 per entry (max. two entries per artist per category)
Entry fees are non-refundable and only works with paid entry fees are eligible for prizes and for selection for exhibition inclusion.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
A panel of judges including staff from the Gosford Regional Gallery will select finalists from the entries submitted online.
The names of the finalists will be promoted on 7 August 2026
Finalists will be contacted and asked to deliver their entries to the Gallery in person on 8 and 9 September 2026 or by courier prior to 9 September 2026.
Only selected finalists will be invited to deliver work for the exhibition. Delivery may be in person or via a courier service. Finalists are responsible for all costs associated with packing and delivery.
An external judge or panel of judges selected by Gallery Management will award prizes. The judge or judges will view the work of the selected finalists in person at Gosford Regional Gallery before awarding prizes. In the event of a dispute arising regarding the rules and conditions of entry, a decision made by Gosford Regional Gallery Management shall be final.
EXHIBITION
The exhibition runs from 26 September 2026 until 22 November 2026.
All works selected for exhibition must remain on show for the full duration of the exhibition.
Finalists are responsible for the collection of their work at the close of the exhibition unless the work is sold.
SALE OF WORK
Artwork exhibited in the Gosford Art Prize 2026 exhibition can be for sale.
Artist must indicate on the online entry form whether the work will be for sale or not for sale. If the work is for sale the Gallery will take a 35 percent commission (inc. GST). The price inclusive of commission must be indicated by the artist in the entry form. Artists who sell work will be required to register as a Supplier of Central Coast Council.
Money owed to an artist due to an artwork sale will be paid within 30 days of the conclusion of the exhibition.
COPYRIGHT
By entering the Gosford Art Prize 2026, the entrant agrees to grant Gosford Regional Gallery a non-exclusive licence to photograph the artwork and publish images of the artwork, and/or an image detail of the artwork, for the purpose of documentation and the promotion of the Gosford Art Prize and/or Gosford Regional Gallery.
PRIVACY
Information provided on the Gosford Art Prize 2026 online entry form will be used solely for the purpose of running this competition, unless the entrant elects to receive further promotional material. The details of selected finalists including name, artwork title, medium, size, price and artist statement will be used to create a catalogue of the selected finalists, exhibition signage and an archive of Gosford Art Prize finalists. This information may also be used to promote the Gosford Art Prize.
INSURANCE
While on exhibition artwork will be insured against fire, theft and vandalism. Gosford Regional Gallery will not be held liable for minor accidental damage that may occur to artwork during the storage or judging of the Art Prize or deterioration due to inherent vice.
COLLECTION OF WORK
If not sold during the exhibition artworks are to be collected on 23 or 24 November 2026, unless alternative arrangements have been made with Gallery staff.
Any artwork not collected within two months of the close of the exhibition will be disposed of unless alternative arrangements have been made with Gallery staff. The Gallery will endeavour to contact artists prior to disposal.
ELIGIBILITY
The Gosford Art Prize 2026 is open to all permanent residents of Australia, except for employees of Central Coast Council
All artworks must have been produced within the 12 months prior to 20 July 2026.
The First Nations Artist Prize is awarded to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entrant only.
Selected finalists must be able to deliver the selected artwork to Gosford Regional Gallery before 10 September 2026.
MOVING IMAGE ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS
The Moving Image Art Award is open to artists working with digital moving images. The category will accept entries of art-based film, video, and animation.
Gosford Regional Gallery displays moving image artworks on various screens:
- Portable 42-55-inch HD monitors, aspect ratio 16:9
- Frieze wall, with pixel dimensions 1152 x 288, aspect ratio 4:1. (see diagram below).
- Immersive curved wall, with pixel dimensions of 3800 X 1596, has an aspect ratio 5:2 (50:21, to be precise).
See the links below for preferred artwork file formats and preparation. Speakers available with all formats.
For more information click here
