2023 Theme

The Relationship of Humanity to the Sea

The 21st Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition is back and set to captivate art enthusiasts from 20–26 October 2023.

This highly anticipated event, hosted at the heritage-listed Mission building in Melbourne’s Docklands, invites artists from around the globe to submit their remarkable creations.

The Mission to Seafarers’ Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition has gained international recognition as a prestigious competition celebrating excellence in artistic interpretations of maritime and seafaring subjects.

This year marks the milestone 21st edition of the event, which continues to foster the profound relationship between humanity and the sea through the power of art. The participating artists have been invited to explore the theme, ‘The Relationship of Humanity to the Sea,’ as they compete for a total prize pool of $25,000.

Admission to the exhibition is free, enabling art enthusiasts and the general public to engage with this extraordinary showcase of talent and support the important work of the Mission to Seafarers Victoria.

For all enquiries please contact artprize@missiontoseafarers.com.au

2023 Award Recipients & Finalists

Congratulations to the following Award Recipients

MSC Maritime Art Award: Matthew Baird – Ghost Boats #18
Best in Traditional Maritime Art Award: Robert J Williams – Stop Engines
Runner-Up Award: Dale Cox – Take your medicine
Port of Melbourne Emerging Artist Award: Jessica Mason – Neptune

Sue Anderson
Alan Annells
Garry Arnephy
Manjula Atukorala
Joseph Au
Matthew Baird
Sophie Balchin
James Birch
John Orlando Birt
Karen Bloomfield
Alice Boardman
Katherine Boland
Don Braben
Sean Burton
Mollie-Rose Chislett
Alan Constable
Edwina Cooper
Dale Cox
Astrid Dahl
Jessie Deane
Sarah Duyshart
Stephen Eastaugh
Merrin Eirth
Lawrence Finn
Jane Flowers
Rodney Forbes
Donna Golledge
Lizzie Hall
Katherine Hattam
Beric Henderson
Raymond Hewitt
Otto Hiisi
Penelope Hillam
Kris Kang
David Kelly
Damon Kowarsky
Caitlin Lever
Richard J Manning
Jessica Mason
Rick Matear
Richard Maurovic
Chrissie McDonald
Pat McKenzie
Roma McLaughlin
Jane Millington
Jose Patalinghug
Shirley Ploog
Jeff Raglus
Lance Ross
Vicki Sangster
John Santucci
Anthony Sawrey
Otto Schmidinger
Lisa Sewards
Karalyn Shaw
Mook Simpson
Arna Smith
Original Smith
Christine Spedding
Scarlet Sykes Hesterman
Bridgit Thomas
Barbara Tyson
Marianne Urth
Sarah Wallace-Smith
Vicky Watts
Sally West
Maxwell Wilks
Robert J Williams
Elisabeth Wilson
Vyvian Wilson
Ben Winspear
John Woodland
Christine Wrest-Smith

Prizes

  • A prize of $15,000 will be awarded to the winner of this category.
  • An online application form must be completed.
  • A non-refundable entry fee payment of AUD$45 (including GST) must be paid.
  • Artworks entered in this category must be available for acquisition or sale by MtSV (see Terms and Conditions for further information).
  • A prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this category.
  • The winner of the Maritime Art Prize will not be eligible for this prize.
  • An online application form must be completed.
  • A non-refundable entry fee payment of AUD$45 (including GST) must be paid.
  • Artworks entered in this category must be available for acquisition or sale by MtSV (see Terms and Conditions for further information).
  • A prize of $2,000 will be awarded to the winner of this category.
  • An online application form must be completed.
  • A non-refundable entry fee payment of AUD$45 (including GST) must be paid.
  • Artworks entered in this category must be available for acquisition or sale by MtSV (see Terms and Conditions for further information).

A prize $2,000 will be awarded to the Peoples’ Choice winner. The Peoples’ Choice Award will be decided by those attending the exhibition who chose to submit a vote (each attendee will be asked to submit only one vote).

  • Those artists wishing to be considered in the Emerging Artists category must be either a
    recent graduate (within 2 years of graduation) or currently a student or under the age of 30.

Please carefully read the Categories and Prizes Information and the Terms and Conditions before deciding to submit an entry.

If you would like to enter an Artwork in the Mission to Seafarers – Victoria’s Maritime Art Prize 2023, you must send complete an online form once entries open.

At the time of making your online application, you will need to pay any applicable entry fee.  If an applicable application fee is not paid, the application will not be valid.

All applications will be acknowledged on receipt (if you don’t receive an acknowledgment, please contact artprize@missiontoseafarers.com.au.

All Artworks need to be delivered by the artist to Mission to Seafarers – Victoria (MtSV) at 717 Flinders St Docklands VIC, 3008 for judging on Monday 16th October 2023, 12noon – 8pm

All Art is to be collected following the exhibition by the artist by the artist, from Friday 27th October 2023,  12pm to 8pm) and Saturday 28th October 2023,  12pm to 8pm.

Please contact artprize@missiontoseafarers.com.au if you have any questions.

Judges

Jane Scott
Lead Curator and Judge

Jane Scott is an arts industry leader with over thirty years’ experience, in arts management, cultural relations and advocacy along with proven expertise in leading and managing curatorial, organisational, development, public interface and facility operations. She has worked in the Arts sector both in Australia and the USA holding many senior positions including:  Lead Curator and Program Manager for Flesh after Fifty: changing images of older women in Art project, CEO and Artistic Director Craft Victoria, Manager of Communications and Public Relations at the National Gallery of Australia, CEO of Regional Arts Australia, Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of Australia Washington DC and Director of the Monash Gallery of Art.

Jason Smith
Director and CEO at Geelong Gallery

Jason Smith is Director of the Geelong Art Gallery. He is an internationally recognised public art museum director and exhibitions and collections curator with more than 30 years’ experience in the art museum sector. His previous positions include Curatorial Manager of Australian Art at Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Director and CEO of Heide Museum of Modern Art, Director of Monash Gallery of Art, and Curator of Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Lesley Harding
Artistic Director at Heide Museum of Modern Art

Lesley Harding is a curator and author and has been Artistic Director of Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, since 2018. She previously worked as a curator at Heide, Arts Centre Melbourne and the National Art School, Sydney, and has curated over fifty exhibitions of Australian and international modernism and contemporary Australian art. She has written and co-written six books on Australian art and social history for Melbourne University Publishing, and is presently working on a biography of Melbourne artist Joy Hester for Thames & Hudson.

 

Dates

Exhibition Dates

Exhibition Opening Night
6pm, Thursday 19 October 2023

Exhibition Public Viewing
Friday 20th – Thursday 26th October
12pm-8pm Daily

Artist Dates

Entries Open
24 July 2023 – 8 September 2023, 5pm

Delivery dates
Monday 16th October 2023
9:00am – 4:30pm

Collection dates
Friday 27th October 2023 12pm to 8pm
Saturday 28th October2023 12pm to 8pm

TERMS & CONDITIONS

  • Up to seventy finalists will be selected to exhibit and notified by email on or before Tuesday 26th
    September 2023.
  • Those artists wishing to be considered in the Emerging Artists category must be either a
    recent graduate (within 2 years of graduation) or currently a student or under the age of 30.
  • Selected work must be presented at the Mission on Monday 16th October 2023 only to:
    ‘The Mission to Seafarers Victoria, 717 Flinders Street, Docklands, VIC 3008
  • Winners in each category will be announced at the official Opening Night & Awards Presentation on
    Thursday 19th October 2023.
  • Finalists will receive a formal invitation to attend the Opening of the Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition
    with plus one guest.
  • Decisions made by both the selection and judging panels are final and there will be no discussion or
    correspondence regarding this process.
  •  The hanging of artworks in the exhibition is at the discretion of the curator.
  • This year’s judges are:
    Lead Curator and Judge – Jane Scott
    Judge – Lesley Harding, Artistic Director, Heide Museum of Modern Art
    Judge – Jason Smith, Director Geelong Art Gallery

The Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition is widely promoted through both print and digital media in an
established campaign with an extensive reach.  Social Media platforms are also utilised to promote this highly regarded and well recognised institution.

  • Entry fee is AUD$45.00 (inc. GST) for each work submitted and is non-refundable.
  • All entries are listed for sale and must remain available for sale for the period of the exhibition. A
    33% commission will be deducted from the sale price by the Mission to Seafarers-Victoria (MTV)
  • Artists will be paid for any sold artwork within 30 days of full payment by the purchaser.
  • Artists who receive an Award or a Highly Commended place in each category give license to the
    MtSV to reproduce images of their artworks for promoting the Maritime Art Prize and collateral
    announcements from 19th October 2023 to 19th October 2024 inclusive.
  • Artists will be credited in all promotional activities where artwork images are reproduced.
  • Entries open on Monday 24th July and close strictly at 5pm AEST on Friday 8th September 2023
  • Entries are to be submitted using the online entry process.
  • Submitted work(s) whether traditional or contemporary, must explore the maritime theme of ‘The
    Relationship between Humanity and the Sea’ thematically and/or literally. The Artist’s Statement
    must reflect the connection of the work to the theme.
  • The Award is open to 2D artwork for wall hanging only. Works may not protrude further than 10cm
    from the wall and must be able to be hung on temporary walls. Mediums may include painting,
    mixed media, collage, or drawing. Photography, printmaking, and digital works are excluded.
  • Incomplete submissions will be ineligible for consideration.
  • Submissions that are not accompanied by payment will be ineligible for consideration.
  • Artists are invited to submit up to two works and both are eligible for selection. Selected works are
    accepted into the exhibition on the following terms:

    a) The work is an original work of the artist
    b) The work has been produced within the past two years and not previously entered in to the
    MtSV Maritime Art Prize
    c) Overall dimensions (not total surface area) including framing, do not exceed 140cm high x
    140cm wide
    d) Diptych and Triptych proposals must be accompanied by a clear image of the assembled work
    and hanging instructions
    e) The weight of the artwork must not exceed 15kg
    f) Works framed under Perspex should be clearly marked for cleaning purposes.
    g) Works must be professionally presented, dry (paint) and clearly labelled on the back and ready
    to hang with secure hardware and hanging wires. Any works that arrive without hanging fixtures
    will be charged a hanging fee of AUD$25+GST

  •  Due to the individual nature of contractual arrangements between artists and galleries, it is the
    responsibility of represented artists to advise their gallery that they have entered work in the
    Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition. The Exhibition organisers acknowledge that the gallery gives
    consent to the represented artists to participate in the Exhibition and agrees to abide by the terms
    for exhibition and sales as specified in the Entry Criteria.
  • Benefit derived from entering this competition may be revoked should the artist be unable to ensure
    license to reproduce images of the artwork for publication due to existing copyright conditions with
    another party.
  •  Artists’ exhibit at their own risk and will be responsible for the cost of freight each way and
    insurances whilst in transit and exhibition; works collected after the pickup deadline may incur
    storage fees.
  • All artworks will be repackaged in their original wrappings at the closure of the Exhibition ready to
    be collected – artists must supply return shipping details (including a return address) with their
    artwork. It is the responsibility of the artist to ensure works are professionally and securely
    packaged for transport/delivery and have glass taped and corners protected.
  • Neither the Mission to Seafarers-Victoria nor its employees or representatives will accept
    responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused, to any artwork whilst in their custody.
  • The Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition Committee reserves the right to reject any wet, dangerous, or
    delicate works that cannot be safely exhibited, or any work received in a condition unsuitable for
    presentation.
  • Artworks must be delivered on Monday 16th October 2023 from 12noon – 8pm
  • Collection of all unsold works at the conclusion of the Exhibition is the responsibility of the artist.
    Works must be collected Friday 27 th or Saturday 28 th October 2023, during MtSV operating hours
    12pm-8pm.
  •  An artist’s signed authority is required if an agent of the artist is collecting.
  • Artists dispatching works by ‘Pay on Delivery/Freight Collect’ to a nominated return address must
    contact the artprize@missiontoseafarers.com.au prior to the closure of the exhibition to confirm
    details.
  • If works are not collected within three months of collection date, work will be disposed of at the
    discretion of the Maritime Art Prize & Exhibition Committee and/or the Management of the Mission
    to Seafarers Victoria Inc.
  • For further enquiries please email artprize@missiontoseafarers.com.au