Conditions of Entry

The theme for this year is:

“EVERYDAY MIRACLES”

The Bay of Fires Art Prize is awarded by the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc.  Entry is open to all artists worldwide.  An artist may enter several works, but each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form and fee with all relevant support material.

The Bay of Fires Art Prize is acquisitive.  The People’s Choice prize is non-acquisitive.  All entered works must be available for sale.

The entered work must be titled and must reflect the theme of the competition.

The Bay of Fires Art Prize winners will be announced at the Gala Event & Exhibition opening at 6pm on Friday, 5^th June 2026.

Entries must be submitted online, and must be received by 5 pm, Wednesday 15th April 2026.  Late or incomplete entries will not be accepted.

A BREACH OF ANY OF THESE REQUIREMENTS MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION. 

All artworks entered by the artist must be the original work and concept of the artist.  The entered work must have been completed in 2025/2026, be the absolute property of the artist and must not have been shown previously or entered in any exhibition or public display.  Exhibition and/or public display includes digital or online display inclusive of social media.

The Bay of Fires Art Prize is open to the following visual fine arts media:

• Painting
• Sculpture
• Textiles
• Drawing
• Printmaking
• Photography
• Mixed media (any combination of the above media)

Entries of an audio-visual nature cannot be accepted.

A finished two-dimensional work, including the frame, must be no larger than:

• 180cm (height) x 180cm (width) and shall weigh no more than 25kg.

 

A finished three-dimensional work must be no larger than:

• 60cm in any dimension and not exceed 20kg in weight.

If selected for exhibition, ALL 2D works of art should be suitably framed so as to be ready to hang using a standard gallery hanging system with wires and hooks.  A stretched canvas is considered framed.  Secure flat D-rings should be placed at the back of the work 10cm down from the top of the frame.  Any other hooks or wire should be removed.  Wet paintings will not be accepted.  Non-compliance with these, and/or any other conditions of entry, may lead to disqualification of the work.

 

Artists are required to submit:

• ONE high resolution digital image of each artwork in JPEG format (maximum size 5MB). The image must be labelled using the file naming protocol: last name_first name_title
• Your image can include a montage of different angles (no more than 4), if it is a sculpture, but a single hero shot should be provided.
• A completed online entry form (A submission of entry deems agreement to these Terms and Conditions).
• An electronic Artist’s CV that gives the background and areas of focus of the artist.  (Submit either as a PDF, DOC or DOCX file, no more than ONE (1) x A4 page)
• An Artist’s Statement related to the entered artwork of no more than 100 words.
• A non-refundable administration fee of AUD$50.00 per entry.

The digital image, artist profile and artist statement may be used in the production of the catalogue of finalists’ work.  All digital media received will become the property of and shall be retained by the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc.

The authority to accept, reject, and/or to disqualify an entry shall rest solely with the Bay of Fires Art Prize Committee.  The Committee’s decision shall be final and no correspondence on the matter will be entered into.

A third party may not enter any works on behalf of an artist.

All entries are to be submitted and delivered free of all charges.

All entries will be acknowledged, and fee payments receipted.

An entry shall impose an obligation upon the artist to submit the entered work for exhibition if selected.

For clarification on any technical matters relating to these requirements, you may contact the curator: David Burnett on 0414 906 372.

By completing and lodging an entry in the Bay of Fires Art Prize competition, the artist is deemed to be bound by, and agrees to comply with the obligations specified in these Conditions of Entry.

Works selected for exhibition will be chosen by a panel of judges appointed by the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc.  Judges will be suitably qualified to judge works of art and will not be members of the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc.  The judges will be selected and announced during the period for entry.  However, the Association reserves the right to change a member of the judging panel at any time prior to the final judging should a judge become unable to participate.  Works to be exhibited will be selected from the digital images and the supporting material submitted with the entry.  The judging panel will choose the prize-winning work from those works selected for exhibition and placed on display.  The judges’ decision will be final, and correspondence will not be entered into.

Artists whose works are selected for exhibition must allow their work to be reproduced for promotional, review and educational purposes and/or for the future promotion of the Bay of Fires Art Prize or the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc and your entry is and shall be deemed as authorisation by the artist to the Association.

Selected works may be required for exhibition at Panorama Hotel, 1 Quail Street, St Helens until NOON Sunday 15th June 2026.

The cost of freight and insurance for works selected for exhibition will be the responsibility of the artist. The Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc will not be responsible for any loss or damage whatsoever, however caused, to any work whilst in the Association’s custody.  Each artist is and shall be responsible for maintaining any insurance cover.

All works selected for exhibition and exhibited shall be for sale.  The sale price indicated in the entry form shall apply and shall remain fixed for the duration of the exhibition.

The list of selected artists will be published on the website: www.bayoffireswinterartsfestival.com.au no later than Monday 18^th May 2026.  Chosen artists will also be notified directly by telephone and/or email.

The cost of getting your piece to and from the exhibition is the sole responsibility of the artist.  Arrangements for delivery of the selected work can commence as soon as you receive an email notification that you have been selected.

Selected works in the exhibition for the Bay of Fires Art Prize must be forwarded by the artist and MUST be received by 5:00pm, Monday 1^st June 2026.  Late arrival may result in disqualification of entry.

Works must be forwarded to:  Panorama Hotel, 1 Quail Street, St Helens, Tasmania, 7216.

for delivery between the hours of 10.00 am and 5.00 pm

All works must have the artist’s name and title of work on the back of the frame or base of the sculpture.

A completed delivery note must accompany each artwork detailing the artist’s name, title of the work and freight details.  Should the artist’s contact details have changed since the original entry form was lodged, new contact details should be included on the delivery note.  If consigning artwork via post or carrier, prepaid return freight vouchers must be included with the artwork at the time of receipt.

If the artwork is sold, the prepaid voucher will be returned to the artist or may be used to forward the work to the buyer.  No payment whatsoever will be made by the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc for freight or other charges incurred in the delivery of a sold piece or for the return of unsold entries.  Should the Bay of Fires Arts Assoc incur costs delivering a piece to a buyer, those costs will be added to the commission charged and deducted from any funds due as a result of a sold artwork.

The Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc. will not accept, and may disqualify, any work forwarded for exhibition which is deemed:

• to be not the submitted entry;
• to have been altered since the entry photograph was taken;
• by the Committee not to comply with the rules in any way.

Arrangements for delivery can be emailed to: secretary@bayoffireswinterartsfestival.com.au or by telephoning Carol Liefting on 0418 135 051.

Art Courier – Interstate door-to-door service

BOFAA would like to suggest a courier that specialises in delivering very fragile artworks around the country.  We used them last year and the service was excellent.  They also service the Glover Art Prize entries in Evandale.

They deliver to Tasmania at least once a month and sometimes twice.  The travel dates in 2025 coincided very well with our exhibition.

Laurie Burgess – Proprietor

Cityfast Couriers Pty Ltd (based in NSW)

Phone: 0419 285 288      Email: artinterstate@cityfastcouriers.com.au

Please contact them direct for information, delivery dates, quotes etc.  BOFAA will not arrange delivery or collection on your behalf.

The Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc shall be entitled to and will retain 30% commission on all works sold.  Should the Bay of Fires Arts Assoc incur costs delivering a piece to a buyer, those costs will be added to the commission charged and deducted from any funds due as a result of a sold artwork.

The net sale proceeds will be paid by electronic transfer to the artist within fourteen (14) working days of sale, provided settlement has been made in accordance with the conditions of sale.  Payment will be made by electronic transfer in Australian dollars.

The Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc will exercise all reasonable care in handling works submitted, but will not be responsible for loss or damage to any work whilst in the custody of the Bay of Fires Arts Association Inc or the association’s agents.

Artists are responsible for their own transit insurance.  It is recommended that artists insure their work against loss or damage.

After the close of the exhibition, all works not sold can be collected from Panorama Hotel from:
NOON Sunday 15th June 2026 and then between 10am and 6pm from Monday 16^th June, with the final day for collection being Thursday 18^th June 2026, unless by prior arrangement.

Works will be returned in the original packing, and it is the responsibility of the artist to ensure the packing material is sufficient for the return transportation of the work.

Where arrangements have not been made for collection or return freight by the due date, the association reserves the right to sell or otherwise dispose of the work on the expiration of thirty (30) days from the last exhibition day.

Read all the Conditions of Entry and ensure your intended entry complies.  Your entry submission is an indication and acknowledgement that you have read and agreed to the Conditions of Entry

Allow yourself plenty of time. Traditionally, most entries (up to 85 per cent) arrive in the last two days.  If you are concerned about the vagaries of the Internet and other technological problems, entering at least a few days early allows time for problems to be solved – and it assists us here too.

Any questions, please contact the Secretary on 0418 135 051 or via email secretary@bayoffireswinterartsfestival.com.au

Ensure you have the following on hand to complete your online entry:

• A high-resolution image of your completed artwork (JPEG file, maximum 5MB).  The file to follow the naming convention: last name_first name_title
• Electronic copy of your Artist CV (in either a PDF, DOC or DOCX file, maximum one (1) x A4 page)
• Your Artist Statement related to the entry (maximum 100 words)
• Credit Card details for secure online payment

Comprehensive CV’s will not be included in the judging material. The profile and Artist’s Statement are intended for publication in the catalogue so please make them descriptive.

Take care with the photo. The image will be what the judges will be making their initial assessments on, and a poor-quality image may well disadvantage you.