GreenWay Art Prize 2025

GreenWay Art prize applications for entries open Monday 15 September 2025 (9am) and close, Monday 3 November 2025 (3pm)

GWAP opens via smartygrants	9am, Monday 15 September 2025
GWAP closes	3pm, Monday 3 November 2025
GWAP entries shortlisted	Mid November 2025
GWAP shortlisted artists notified	28 November 2025
GWAP entries judged by assessors	November/December 2025
GWAP entries dropped to Chrissie Cotter Gallery (CCG)	8am – 6pm, Wednesday 3 December & Thursday 4 December 2025
GWAP Opening at CCG & GWAP winners announced	2pm - 4pm, Saturday 6 December 2025
Shortlisted entrants and artworks listed on Council’s website	Saturday 6 December 2025
GWAP exhibition	Saturday 6 – Saturday 13 December 2025 (Gallery hours are 11am - 4pm)
GWAP winners announced on Council’s Social Media	Between Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 December 2025
Invoices from winning entries/artists to be sent to Council	By 5pm, Monday 15 December 2025
Artworks collected from CCG	By 5pm Sunday 14 December 2025

• This is a national prize, open to all artists submitting work within the terms of the prize – see Appendix in the Guidelines available below.
• Applicants under 18 must provide written approval from their legal guardian to take part in the prize.

Applications must

• be submitted as a photographic representation online via smartygrants
• provide a written artist statement responding to a theme of the GWAP that describes your work
• provide an original non AI-generated work produced in the last year
• include a high-quality landscape photo (1,500 x 1,000 pixels) of the artwork you are submitting (please ensure it has 300ppi resolution) photographed with a white background and using good lighting (applications with poor quality samples of work may not be considered) – file size should not exceed 2MB per photo
• include a description of the materials used in the artwork as well as its dimensions
• submit only one entry to the GWAP
• provide social media accounts to enable tagging of artists on Instagram in the event of the entrant being awarded a Prize.
  
  

Themes
Art Prize entries should reflect one or more GreenWay themes, including the local environment, urban ecology, waterways, and sustainability. With exciting new in-corridor upgrades underway, applicants are invited to celebrate and reimagine this vital green space—drawing on personal experiences of the GreenWay to explore how it connects people and nature across time.

Entrants are asked to address one or more GWAP theme in the artist statement included in their application. More information about the GreenWay can be found on Council’s website.

Prize	Criteria	Value
1st place GreenWay Art Prize	Ages 18+, all artforms	$6,500
2nd place GreenWay Art Prize	Ages 18+, all artforms	$3,000
Highly Commended GreenWay Art Prize	Ages 18+, all artforms	$1,500
Cooks River Small Sculpture Prize	Ages 18+, sculpture	$3,000
Youth Prize (ages 12-15)	All artforms	$500
Youth Prize (ages 16-18)	All artforms	$500
Total Prize money		$15,000

Artform	Requirement
Photography	Maximum 100cm x 100cm
Painting	Maximum 100cm x 100cm
Sculpture	Maximum 20cm w x 30cm h, 20cm d, 20Kg
2-Dimensional mixed media works (watercolour, drawing, collage, printmaking, mosaic on board, fabrics)	Maximum 100cm x 100cm, weight 10Kg All 2-dimensional hangable works accepted

Entries will be assessed online and shortlisted. A shortlist will then be asked to deliver their work in person to be judged by an independent panel including one artist, one visual arts industry professional, and a GreenWay Forum representative. Approximately 30 works across all artforms and award categories will be displayed at Chrissie Cotter Gallery, 6 - 13 December 2025. Prizes will be awarded from this pool of works. Winners must invoice Council for the awarded sum (including GST for winners who are eligible for GST) by 15 December 2025.

Shortlisted artists’ works:

• must be dropped to Chrissie Cotter Gallery (CCG), 3 - 4 December, between 8am – 6pm
• will be displayed at CCG from 6 to 13 December
• that are 2-dimensional must be framed, tagged with artist name, contact number and artwork title, and ready for hanging (i.e. with a suitable cord or wire attached between two D-rings on the back of the artwork)
• that are sculptures must have a flat/stable bottom and be clearly tagged with artist name, contact number and artwork title.

Shortlisted artists are asked to attend the opening, 6 December, 2pm - 4pm, where winners will be announced. Prize winners and their artworks will also be announced on Council’s social media during the exhibition period.

Guidelines for the GreenWay Art Prize 2025 pdf  (PDF 757KB)  Guidelines for the GreenWay Art Prize 2025 doc (DOCX 6.5MB)

For enquiries or to discuss your proposal please contact:
Raffaela Cavadini – Creative Producer
raffaela.cavadini@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 02 9335 2293

Or

Dana Santos – Administration Assistant, Creative Communities
dana.santos@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 02 9392 5616

Support and Accessibility
Please get in touch to discuss any access needs you have about the GWAP. Council is committed to showcasing diverse voices from our community and welcome those who may need access regarding disability, language barriers, and navigating application processes.

Submit your photographic representation of your work here

Winners of the prize will be announced on Saturday 6 December at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery, with the launch happening from 2pm - 4pm. Shortlisted artists’ works will be on display at the Gallery from 6 – 13 December, 11am – 4pm.