Judy Wheeler Commission 2027

The Judy Wheeler Commission is a ten‑year site‑specific commissioning program established in memory of Judy Wheeler and generously supported by the Simpson Family. 

Awarded annually, the commission supports Australia‑based artists to develop ambitious new work that responds physically or conceptually to the architecture, history and site of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).

Artists are invited to engage with the building’s transitional and public spaces, areas encountered by visitors as they move through and around PICA. Proposals should reflect PICA’s longstanding commitment to risk‑taking and experimentation and consider how contemporary art can activate spaces of passage, encounter and movement. Each commission is installed for up to one year as part of PICA’s public program.

Each commission is installed for up to a one-year period. The recipient of the Judy Wheeler Commission will receive:  

• $10,000 artist fee (including superannuation)  

• $10,000 towards development and production expenses  

• Contribution towards travel expenses (airfares, accommodation, honorarium)  

• Presentation as part of PICA’s 2027 program   

• Curatorial and install support from PICA’s team  

More info and how to apply: pica.org.au/judy-wheeler-commission

Image 1: Image: Judy Wheeler, image courtesy the Simpson family

Image 2: Amanda Bell, F = m•a (five ways to make a rainbow), Judy Wheeler Commission 2025, Perth institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Photos: Rebecca Mansell.

Image 3: Diana Baker Smith, Falling Towards Another, 2024, performance. Judy Wheeler Commission, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Photo: Daniel James Grant.

Image 4: Elizabeth Willing, Roost, Judy Wheeler Commission 2023. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Photo: Dan McCabe.

Image 5: Jen Berean, James Carey, Soft Grates, Judy Wheeler Commission 2026. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Photo: Guy Louden.

For more information click here