Conditions of Entry - M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2025
1. Entry fee
1.1 Payment of a non-refundable entry fee is required at the time of entry. $45 for one artwork. $40 for a second artwork. $35 for a third artwork. Maximum of three (3) entries per artist. (Prices incl. GST). There is no entry fee for artists identifying as First Nations.
1.2 M16 Artspace members receive a 20% discount off all entries. Sign up to be a member today! Applications found to have applied the M16 Artspace members discount without a valid membership will be disqualified from the M16 Artspace Drawing Prize.
1.3 Entry fee is to be paid for all works regardless of whether the work is selected for exhibition.
If you are unable to pay via debit card or credit card online, please contact M16 Artspace to discuss your payment options on (02) 6295 9438 or email office@m16artspace.com
2. Eligibility
2.1 The competition is open to all artists over 18 years of age (as at time of entry) from Australia
2.2 Entry forms, fee and images must be submitted online before 11:59pm Sunday, 12th October 2025
2.3 Entry forms not accompanied by the entry fee and a good quality image of each artwork are ineligible for the competition (please see ‘Submission of Entries’ below for image specifications).
2.4 The entry fee is non-refundable.
2.5 All works must be unframed and unmounted to be eligible.
2.6 All works must have been completed in the last 24 months.
2.7 Artworks entered must be the original work of the artist. Known copies of other artworks will not be accepted.
2.8 Artists must ensure that their work does not infringe Copyright or Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
2.9 All artworks must be available to be displayed in the M16 Artspace Drawing Prize finalists exhibition from 29th November to 14th December, 2025.
If you are unsure about the eligibility of your artwork, please consult the M16 Artspace team on (02) 6295 9438 or email office@m16artspace.com
3. Sale of Works
3.1 All Artworks must be available for sale. Please include the appropriate gallery commission, and GST if you are registered, in your retail price.
3.2 M16 Artspace will coordinate the sale of works and charge a commission of 30% to all artists who are not affiliated with a commercial gallery.
3.3 A commission of 40% applies to artists who are affiliated with a commercial gallery, divided equally between M16 Artspace and that gallery. The name of the gallery must be included on the entry form if commission is to be split.
3.4 Commission will be deducted from the selling price of any work sold. The sale price indicated on the entry form must remain fixed throughout the exhibition and should include the commission and GST (if applicable) and any other commercial gallery or agent fees.
4. Medium
4.1 Artworks of any medium will be accepted for entry, except those made from hazardous materials or outside the size and weight limits and technical specifications set out in this document.
4.2 Digital Media Policy
4.2.1 Any use of Artificial Intelligence in your entry must be included/written in the artist statement.
4.2.2 Any entries consisting of moving image must provide a link to the works via Vimeo or YouTube in HD. Please also provide any applicable passwords.
4.2.3 Video works will be assessed by a one-minute segment of the work. For video entries, artists are to supply a link to view the work on YouTube or Vimeo with a timestamp for a one-minute segment that best represents the work. The work must be publicly available for viewing. Entries will be deemed ineligible if M16 staff are unable to access the video.
4.2.4 All entrants must ensure that any copyrighted material incorporated into their work is used with the necessary permissions or under a valid legal exception. Artists must be able to provide evidence of such clearance upon request.
5. Awards
5.1 Local Artist Award
5.1.1 To be eligible for the Local Artist Award, the artist must be a current resident of the Australian Capital Territory.
5.1.2 Artists living outside Canberra are eligible for the Local Artist Award if their practice is clearly Canberra-based, consistently promoted as such, and they reside in the surrounding region. Eligibility will be considered on a range of factors including but not limited to whether the artist regularly creates or presents work in the ACT, is active within the ACT arts sector, or has undertaken recent formal arts training or education in the ACT and lives in the surrounding region.
5.2 First Nations Drawing Prize
5.2.1 To be eligible for the First Nations Drawing Prize, the artist must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
6. Size and Weight of Artwork
6.1 Wall hanging artworks must not be heavier than 10kg and must not exceed 2 metres high x 2 metres wide.
6.2 Free standing sculptural works must not be heavier than 20kg and must not exceed 1 metre high x 1 metre wide x 1 metre deep.
6.3 Wall hanging sculptural works must not be heavier than 10kg and must not exceed 1 metre high x 1 metre wide x 1 metre deep.
6.4 Artworks may be single or multi-piece as long as they do not exceed the overall dimensions when displayed.
7. Preparation and display of artworks
7.1 All works must be unframed, unmounted, appropriately fixed, and ready for installation.
7.2 Finalist artworks on paper must have tabs attached or please consult M16 Artspace about alternative hanging methods.
7.3 If your work has multiple pieces finalists must email a diagram to office@m16artspace.com
7.4 Moving image artwork files must be formatted as a .MP4 or .MOV
7.5 M16 Artspace will provide plinths for sculptural works for the finalist exhibition unless the artist prefers to supply these.
7.6 M16 Artspace will provide systems for presenting works using video, sound, and film. Please contact M16 Artspace at office@m16artspace.com if you have any questions regarding artworks that require a power source.
7.7 For complex installation pieces artists may be required to install their work themselves in the finalist exhibition.
7.8 If detailed instructions are required, please list them on your entry form.
7.9 M16 Artspace reserves the right not to 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.
8. Submission of Entries
8.1 Entries close 11:59pm Sunday, 12th October 2025
8.2 Submissions must be made online via the M16 Artspace website. You will receive a confirmation email if your entry was submitted successfully. No hard copy entries will be accepted.
8.3 Payment is to be made online at the time of completing the entry form.
9. Required Information
9.1 All entries must include the following information:
9.1.1 An artist statement that refers directly to the work you are entering in the M16 Drawing Prize, maximum 250 words, written in third person. We may use this statement to promote the exhibition.
9.1.2 Up to two images per artwork. JPG files only, high resolution, maximum file size 3MB. Files must be named as ArtistName_ArtworkTitle__Year Completed_ Image credit.jpg. Image credit must be the name of the photographer.
9.1.3 Price: Please include in your retail price the appropriate gallery commission as set out in clauses 3.2 and 3.3, and GST if you are registered. To the nearest whole number with no decimal points/cents ($200 instead of $199.95).
9.1.4 Installation instructions. If detailed instructions are required, please list them on your entry form.
10. Selection Process
10.1 There will be two rounds of judging – online and in person.
10.2 The first round will be a pre-selection process from the images and information submitted by the entrant, in which a selection panel appointed by M16 Artspace will determine the finalists for the M16 Artspace Drawing Prize exhibition.
10.3 Feedback from this process is unavailable due to the large volume of entries.
10.4 Selected finalists will be notified via email by 11.59PM Monday 27th October 2025
10.5 Selected finalists will be hung in the M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2025 finalists’ exhibition.
10.6 It is anticipated that approximately 18-22 artworks will be selected.
10.7 Finalists will be published on the M16 Artspace website with their works listed for purchase in the M16 Artspace digital stockroom.
10.8 M16 Artspace reserves the right to select entries for listing, not all entries will be selected to be listed on the M16 Artspace website and stockroom.
10.9 In the second round of judging, the selection panel appointed by M16 Artspace will determine the winners of the main Drawing Prize, the Highly Commended Prize, the Local Artist Award, and the First Nations Drawing Prize.
10.10 The judges’ decisions are final on all aspects of selection and awarding of prizes. No correspondence or appeal will be entered into or considered.
10.11 M16 Artspace reserves the right to amend the prize pool; not to award prizes or add additional prizes based upon the judge’s decisions.
10.12 The Peoples’ Choice Award will be announced following the conclusion of the exhibition.
11. Delivery and Collection of Works
11.1 All artworks selected for the Drawing Prize must be delivered by post or in person to M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent Griffith ACT 2603 by: Tuesday, 11th November 2025 between 11am and 5pm.
11.1.2 Works can be delivered prior to Tuesday, 11th November 2025 ONLY BY APPOINTMENT with the M16 Artspace office, during M16 Artspace office hours (12pm - 5pm, Wednesday to Friday).
11.2 If artworks are to be delivered by courier, please notify the M16 Artspace office the name of the courier company.
11.2.1 If the work delivered by courier does not arrive by 5pm Tuesday, 11th November 2025 it will be automatically disqualified from the finalists’ exhibition and prize categories, and the work will not be hung.
11.3 All unsold artworks must be collected from M16 Artspace between 11am to 5pm 15th – 17th December 2025.
11.3.1 If these dates are not suitable, it is the artist’s responsibility to make alternative arrangements with M16 Artspace. Otherwise, M16 Artspace cannot be held responsible for the storage of the artwork.
11.3.2 If artworks are to be collected by courier, artists must organise the courier and advise M16 Artspace of all details, including the name of the courier company and approximate time and date for collection.
11.4 If an artwork has not been collected within one week of the exhibition closing and the artist has not contacted M16 Artspace staff to arrange collection, M16 Artspace has permission to dispose of the artwork or use the artwork in a fundraising event as it sees fit.
11.5 If works are to be returned by post this must be organised by the artist and will incur a $30 administration fee. The artist must supply a self-addressed prepaid Australia Post satchel and organise insurance with Australia Post. Works that the artist wishes to be returned by post but that are sent without these will not be returned.
11.6 Freight costs, insurance and all charges relating to delivery and collection of works of art are the responsibility of the artist.
12. Care and Responsibility
12.1 M16 Artspace will take all reasonable care with the works submitted but is not responsible for any loss or damage of work during the period of the Prize and exhibition, or while in transit to or from the exhibition.
12.2 It is the responsibility of the artists to arrange insurance for their own artworks in transit to/from and during the exhibition.
12.3 All artists must clearly label all packaging materials. All packaging materials must be provided by the artist. Upon sale of works the packaging provided by the artist will be used.
12.4 Each entrant consents to the reproduction and/or publication of their work being photographed and/or used for the purposes of publicity, criticism, review, research, reports and/or reference in connection with activities of M16 Artspace and/or the M16 Drawing Prize.
12.5 Prior to submitting the entry form, artists must have received permission from their dealer or gallery to have their work hung in the exhibition and used for promotional purposes and accept that M16 Artspace will take a commission on sold work as detailed in clauses 3.2 and 3.3.
12.6 By submitting an entry to the M16 Artspace Drawing Prize the artist agrees to all Terms & Conditions as outlined in this document.
12.7 Artists who win prizes and/or awards agree to make themselves available for the purposes of promotion and publicity at times and dates and in places reasonably requested by M16 Artspace.
13. Copyright
13.1 Copyright for submitted works remains the property of the artist.
13.2 Finalists grant M16 Artspace non-exclusive licence to use images of their work, in print and online, within Australia for the purpose of promoting the M16 Drawing Prize and M16 Artspace.
13.3 All entrants grant M16 Artspace non-exclusive licence to use images of their work and associated artist statements for the purposes of listing on the M16 Artspace website and M16 Artspace digital stockroom.
13.4 The entrant accepts that M16 Artspace reserves the right to edit the supplied artist statement to ensure editorial consistency with the requirements outlined in these terms and conditions.
13.5 M16 reserves the right to edit artist statements and artwork images, in consultation with the artist, for the purposes of any media release and any text labels that are associated with the exhibition. M16 may make changes at its discretion for the purposes of quality control or ensuring content meets the Gallery’s ethical standards.
13.6 Where an artist objects to the inclusion of their work in this publicly available digital record, they may email M16 Artspace to arrange the removal of the image.
13.7 When an image is used, the artist and title of the work will be acknowledged.
14. Attribution
14.1 Artists will be credited both online and alongside their physical artworks when on display.
15. Privacy
15.1 Personal information collected by M16 Artspace will be used for the purpose of the delivery of the M16 Artspace Drawing Prize.
15.2 Additional demographic data is requested optionally for the purposes of understanding M16 Artspace’s accessibility to, and connections with, diverse sections of the community.
15.2.1 M16 Artspace may report aggregated data to its current or potential funders. 15.2.2 All data reported externally to M16 Artspace will be deidentified and aggregated.