Competitions and prizes are an important part of the visual and media arts, craft and design ecology.  They offer artists a great opportunity for public recognition, audience development and revenue generation. Success in competitions can play an important role in boosting an artist’s career prospects. 

For arts organisations, competitions are often a key element in their schedule of work and can add to their public profile and help them reach new audiences. If the prize is acquisitive, it can be an effective way of enhancing a gallery’s collection.

However, there are many important issues that both those who enter and those who run competitions should be aware of.

In this session NAVA is bringing together a panel of experts to drill down into the pros and cons of competitions; what is art industry best practice, what to look out for on entry forms; legal consequences associated with competition rules; and an artist’s perspective on the challenges that can come from competition entry.

Contributing to the discussion will be:

•  Tamara Winikoff – Executive Director of the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA)
• Anne Zahalka - one of Australia’s most prolific and highly regarded photomedia artists who has produced some of Australia’s most iconic images. Included in every major national collection, Anne has generated thirteen major series of works over the last thirty years.
• Joanne Teng, Solicitor, Arts Law Centre of Australia