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The Whitehorse Art Prize is a new acquisitive award for Victorian artists, awarding excellence in contemporary visual art across the fields of painting, works on paper, and ceramics.
The theme of the prize is art inspired by the natural environment.
Applications open 2 November 2026.
About the Art Prize
Celebrating the centenary of the Whitehorse Art Collection in 2027, we are proud to launch the inaugural Whitehorse Art Prize, an exciting new opportunity for artists to showcase art inspired by the natural environment.
All Victorian artists are eligible to enter the Main Prize $20,000. Artists that live, work or study in Whitehorse, or who have depicted local subject matter in their art prize entry, are also eligible for the Local Prize $10,000. The winning artists will receive prize money, and their winning artworks will become part of the Whitehorse Art Collection, - one of the oldest and largest local government art collections in the Melbourne region.
Whitehorse has a rich and storied history in the development of Australian art. As the birthplace of Australian Impressionism at the Box Hill Artists Camp in the mid 1880s, this opportunity honours our rich heritage of art inspired by the natural world, while celebrating contemporary art practice by leading and emerging practitioners from across Victoria.
A celebration of contemporary Australian art, the prize creates a new platform for Whitehorse City Council to add exceptional works to its collection and promote art and artists as a valuable part of the Australian community.
Prizes
- Main Prize (Acquisitive): $20,000
- Local Prize (Acquisitive): $10,000
- Peoples Choice Prize (Non-acquisitive): $1,000
Judging Panel
Entries will be judged by a panel of leading arts professionals. Judge profiles will be announced closer to applications opening.
Key dates
- Applications Open: Monday 2 November, 1pm
- Entries Close: Tuesday 15 December, 1pm
- Exhibition Dates: Saturday 17 April – Saturday 12 June 2027
More information coming soon
We encourage applicants to check this page for updates. For urgent enquiries, please contact artgallery@whitehorse.vic.gov.au.