Hornsby Art Prize 2026

• Hornsby Art Prize $10,000
• Hornsby Shire Local Artist Award $5,000
• Sculpture Award $1,500
• Painting Award $1,500
• Drawing Award $1,500
• Printmaking Award $1,500
• Photography Award $1,500
• People’s Choice Award $500

Enter now

• Limit two (2) entries per person
• Entry fee $40 per entry
• Size limit 2D artworks – 125cm (height, width), including the frame. Size limit 3D artworks – 85cm (height, width, depth)
• Weight limit – 15kg

Terms and conditions

Guido Maestri

Guido Maestri (b. 1974, Australia) is known for his highly textural, expressive works that foreground materiality, gesture, and observation. Over the course of his career, he has explored en plein air painting, ancient ecosystems, cycles of the natural world, imagined realms, personal memories, and the shifting terrain of his immediate environments to reflect on notions of reality and humanity’s impact on nature.

A graduate of the National Art School, Sydney, Maestri has received numerous awards and residencies. He won the prestigious Archibald Prize in 2009 and has been a nine-time finalist in the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His works are held in major public and private collections including the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra; Artbank, Australia; the Art Gallery of New South Wales; the Art Gallery of South Australia; Parliament House, Canberra; and the Fubon Art Foundation, Taiwan. He is represented by Ames Yuvuz. 

Mirra Whale

Mirra Whale (b. 1979, Australia) is a Sydney based artist who explores everyday 'banal and commonplace' subjects and presents them from another angle. Her artworks explore the formal and conceptual limits of the genre of still life painting. She has been the recipient and finalist of numerous art prizes since graduating from Sydney Art School, Sydney.

Whale is a five-time finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She won the Redland Art Award in 2024, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award (EMSLA) in 2019, Royal Art Society North Sydney Drawing Prize in 2011 and National AQ Printmaking Prize in 2003. She has also been selected as a finalist in other major art awards including the Mosman Art Prize, Portia Geach Portrait Prize, National Still Life Award, Kedumba Drawing Award and Shirley Hannon Portrait Prize. Whale lives and works on the Hawkesbury River. She is represented by Mitchell Fine Art.

How many entries can I submit?
Artists can submit up to two entries.

What size artworks are accepted?
2D artworks – 125cm height, 125cm width
3D artworks – 85cm height, 85cm width, 85cm depth
There is a weight limit – 15kg.

Do you accept mixed media artworks?
Yes, 2D artworks using painting and mixed media should be entered into the Painting category. For further information please contact arts@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

Is there a cost to enter Hornsby Art Prize?
Yes, the cost is $40 per entry.

Do the artworks have to be for sale?
Yes, all artworks in the finalist exhibition are for sale. A 20% commission will go to the Hornsby Art Society.

Can the artwork have been included in another art prize exhibition?
No, all finalist artworks should not have been in any other art prize exhibition.

Is there a theme?
No, there is no theme for the Hornsby Art Prize.

Who will be on the judging panel?
Our judges this year are artists Guido Maestri and Mirra Whale.

What is a D-ring?
A D-ring is a triangular or D shaped ring with a screw that is attached to the frame. We will use this to attach a hook which fits into our hanging system.

Can my artwork be sent by courier?
Yes, finalist artworks can be sent by courier.

I’ve made a mistake on my entry form, what should I do?
Corrections to the entry form may be made prior to 5pm, 20 August. You will need to contact the Arts and Cultural Development Officer. Please contact arts@hornsby.nsw.gov.au

When will I find out if I am a finalist?
Finalists will be announced by 5pm on 1 September, 2026.