Welcome to the Lake Macquaire City Council's online application service, powered by SmartyGrants.
For queries about the guidelines, deadlines or for further information, please contact
Meryl Ryan
Senior Curator Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
lakeartprize@lakemac.nsw.gov.au
T: 4921 0382 (main); M: 0437 847 146
If you need more help using this form, download the Help Guide for Applicants or check out Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
The LAKE Art Prize
A National Biennial Acquisitive Prize for Contemporary Australian Art
Theme: Where there is water
Value: $25,000 (excl GST)
There is a total acquisitive prize pool of $25,000 (ex GST) The funding is made available by the generosity and support of Lake Macquarie City Council.
All works in the final exhibition are for sale and available to be acquired by Lake Macquarie City Council. The artist’s sale price (ex GST) of the work is the acquisitive prize value. If the winning artwork is for sale at less than $25,000, the judging panel may select another work for acquisition This means a second or third artwork may be acquired, but there is only one winner.
Entries for The LAKE Art Prize are also be eligible for:
People’s Choice Award – value $2,000 (excl GST) – a non-acquisitive award to the artwork with the highest number of audience votes over the period of finalist exhibition. Voters will also go into the draw to win MAC Packs and Sculpture park café vouchers.
Finalist Exhibition
Dates: 12 December 2020 – 7 February 2021
Venue: MAC: Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
To be considered for selection to the finalist exhibition and for the Prize, submissions must comply with all terms and conditions of entry below.
Key dates and information
- Artist eligibility period: Resident in Australia 23 October 2019 – 23 October 2020.
- Artist eligibility age: 18 years or older on 23 October 2020
- Date of artwork : Must be completed 23 October 2019 – 23 October 2020.
- Administration Fee: $35 (non- refundable) per artwork entry.
- Artwork not to have been exhibited (digitally or physically) as a finalist in another art prize.
- Artist sale price must be $25,000 or less
- Artwork can be of any medium including sculpture, painting, drawing, photomedia, installation, sound, fibre arts and a single piece or multi-piece artwork.
- The artwork does not exceed 250cm in any given dimension (including installation of multi-piece artworks) and not exceed 20kg in total.
- Entry is limited to one work per person or collective
- The artwork must reflect the theme as articulated in an accompanying short statement.
- Entries by digital submission close at midnight Friday 23 October 2020.
- Finalists notified: 30 October 2020.
- Exhibition dates: 12 December 2020 to 7 February 2021.
- Delivery of finalist exhibition artworks: by 4pm Friday 27 November 2020.
- Announcement of The 2020 LAKE prize winner: 12 December 2020 via website and social media. The winner will be notified via email.
- Announcement of The 2020 LAKE prize People’s Choice award: 5 February 2021 via website and social media. The winner will be notified via email.
- Artwork collection: 10 – 12 February 2021
About Us
Lake Macquarie is the third most populated regional city in New South Wales where over 204,000 people live in over 95 communities, wrapped around one of Australia largest coastal saltwater lakes. Of the total population, 4.1% of the people identify as Aboriginal.
Lake Macquarie is a growing creative hub with over 2,400 crearive industry professionals, an emerging performance and events sector, museum and heritage and a significant investment into new cultural infrastructure programs over the coming 2 years including public art, an art pavilion and multi-use creative spaces.
Museum of Art and Culture (MAC) is positioned at the northern apex of Lake Macquarie. The Museum has played a key role in supporting cultural practice in the region for more than four decades. A specific feature of this role is acknowledging and engaging with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community as the First Peoples, and working with the community to provide a place where Aboriginal voices can be heard and culture presented through the dedicated yapang program.
About the Prize
Launched in 2020, this inaugural The LAKE Art Prize is to be a key event in the cultural calendar, bringing outstanding Australian contemporary art practice to Lake Macquarie. Contending artworks will reflect on the theme of water (in any of its forms) and will be across all media and disciplines, including (without limitation) sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, installation, sound.
In addition to the great appeal of the finalist exhibition, this major acquisitive Prize will signal ongoing development of Cultural Collections of Lake Macquarie, as an exhibition resource and community cultural asset. Through the Prize, Lake Macquarie City acknowledges the vital role played by the Arts in the broader community.
Terms and Conditions
The LAKE Art Prize is open to all Australians (citizens or resident for at least 12 months) who are 18 years and older on 23 October 2020 and must be living in Australia as their main place of residence. (Proof of age or citizenship may be required.)
- Employees of Lake Macquarie City Council, MAC, the judges, and members of their immediate families are not eligible to enter the Prize.
- The artwork must reflect the theme ‘Where there is water’, and can be a painting, work on paper, photomedia work, film, sculpture, as a single artwork or multi-piece artwork.
- Works by non-Aboriginal artist reflecting Aboriginal cultural themes and imagery will not be accepted unless created through an ethical partnership.
- The entrant warrants the artwork is original and does not infringe the copyright, moral rights or other rights of any third party.
- All entries must be available for sale and acquisition into the Lake Macquarie Cultural Collection. The artist’s sale price (ex GST) is the acquisitive prize paid for the work. For works other than the winner, will be available for sale to the public and the sale price will include 25% MAC commission unless otherwise negotiated.
- The entrant must be the owner of the artwork and it have been produced within the 12 months prior to 23 October 2020.
- Artist sale price must be $25,000 or less
- Artworks must not have been exhibited (in any form - digitally or physically) as a finalist in another art prize.
- The artwork must not exceed the size limit of 250cm in any given dimension in total. Dimensions apply to the actual work of art, not the mounting or framing.
- Artworks may be single or multi-piece as long as the overall dimensions do not exceed the size limit.
- Artworks not exceed 20kg in total weight.
- Entry is limited to one work per person or collective
- Digital entries, including fee payment and all information, must be submitted by midnight Friday 23 October 2020 (EST) in SmartyGrants. No late entries will be accepted.
- No entries will be accepted if delivered by hand, email or post.
- Entry into The LAKE Art Prize requires completion of all components within the online entry form, including, but not limited to: statement outlining how the artwork relates to the theme (200 words), title, materials and date made, description of the materials used and outline of installation process, short artist biography paragraph (200 words), quality images accurately reproducing the artwork, acceptance of all declarations and contact details and payment of entry fee
- Artworks will be assessed and shortlisted for the finalist exhibition by a panel appointed by Lake Macquarie City Council, including two high-profile external judges (to be announced prior to the judging).
- All entrants will be notified via email and advised whether they have been selected or not for the finalist exhibition by 30 October 2020.The finalist exhibition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding its selection.
- The entrant agrees to any embargo applicable to the finalist exhibition and/or winner announcement. The winning entrant must not disclose his/her/their identity during the embargo period.
- Where reasonable, MAC will attribute the artist as the author of the work and reproduce the artwork in full. Full details of the work may be used at MAC’s discretion.
- Entrants acknowledge that all information and images provided as part of the entry to The LAKE Art Prize may be used by MAC for purposes including, but not limited to education, publicity and promotion.
If an artwork is selected for the finalist exhibition
- The artwork must be available for loan and display at MAC between 27 November 2020 and 20 February 2021.
- Finalist artworks are to be delivered, at the entrant’s expense, to MAC by no later than 4pm Friday 27 November 2020. Entrant will be responsible for all transit insurance.
- MAC reserves the right not to exhibit a work if, in the opinion of the judges, the images submitted earlier are not an adequate representation of the actual work received.
- All entries are for sale. The artist’s sale price (ex GST) is the acquisitive prize paid for the work. For works other than the winner, the works will be available for sale to the public and the sale price will include 25% MAC commission unless otherwise negotiated.
- If the artist is registered for GST, the artist’s selling price must be GST exclusive . A commission of 25% will apply in the event of an artwork, other than the winner, is sold during the exhibition unless otherwise negotiated artist in the case of representation by a registered dealer.
- MAC will manage sales enquires unless otherwise negotiated by the artist in the case of representation by a registered dealer.
- Artworks must be clearly labelled with the artist’s name and artwork title.
- Artworks must be submitted ready to install.
- Finalist artists will make themselves available for marketing and media opportunities in relation to the promotion of The 2020 LAKE Art Prize and its finalist exhibition, at the invitation of MAC.
- Finalist grant to MAC (and its partners and sponsors), fee-free, non-exclusive licence to reproduce the submitted work in material form, to photograph, publish and/or communicate it to the public, for the following Prize-related purposes: marketing, publicity, educational, archival and publication uses for the MAC, the Prize and its exhibition in all media, including but not limited to electronic/digital, broadcasting and print media and anything incidental to such purposes including visitor social media use.
- MAC will exercise professional care of exhibited works in its custody. Adequate precautions must be taken in packing of works as no responsibility will be taken for damaged or lost works in transit. Packaging must be suitable for return.
- The artwork must be available for acquisition to meet the requirement of the acquisitive prize. Where the work has been created by more than one person, the entrant must be authorised in writing by all creators of the work, to submit the work in accordance with these conditions.
- At the conclusion of the finalist exhibition, artworks (other than the winner and any sold during the course of the exhibition) will be returned to the entrant at the entrant expense.
- At the close of the finalist exhibition, if the entrant fails to either pick up the work of arrange for its transport by the 12 February 2021, MAC will notify the entrant in writing to the last known address of its intention to sell or otherwise dispose of the artwork by 12 March 2021.
If the artwork is selected as The LAKE Art Prize winner
- There is a total acquisitive prize pool of $25,000 (ex GST). The funding is made available by the generosity and support of Lake Macquarie City Council. All entries are for sale. The artist’s sale price (ex GST) is the acquisitive prize paid for the work and must be $25,000 or less . . If the winning artwork’s artist’s sale price is less than $25,000, the judging panel may select another work for acquisition. Therefore, there may be more than one work acquired for the finalist exhibition, , but only one winner.
- The entrant agrees to sign any ownership transfer document provided by MAC.
- The winner will retain all copyright in the work but grant MAC a licence for use in promoting MAC and the Cultural Collection.
- The winner agrees to seek independent legal advice regarding acceptance of the Prize, including all tax implications.
- The winner agrees to be available for promotion and publicity related to the winner announcement and finalist exhibition.
NAVIGATING (MOVING THROUGH) THE APPLICATION FORM
On every screen (page of the form) you will find a Form Navigation contents box, this links directly to every page of the application. Click the link to jump directly to the page you want.
You can also click 'next page' or 'previous page' on the top or bottom of each page to move forward or backward through the application.
SAVING YOUR DRAFT APPLICATION
If you wish to leave a partially completed application, press 'save and close' and log out. When you log back in and click on the 'My Submissions' link at the top of the screen, you will find a list of any applications you have started or submitted. You can reopen your draft application and start where you left off.
You can also download any application, whether draft or completed, as a PDF. Click on the 'Download PDF' button located at the bottom of the last page of the application form.
SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION
You will find a Review and Submit button at the bottom of the Navigation Panel. You need to review your application before you can submit it.
Once you have reviewed your application you can submit it by clicking on 'Submit' at the top or bottom of the screen or on the navigation panel. You will not be able to submit your application until all the compulsory questions are completed and there are no validation errors.
Once you have submitted your application, no further editing or uploading of support materials is possible.
When you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your submitted application attached. This will be sent to the email you used to register.
If you do not receive a confirmation of submission email then you should presume that your submission has NOT been submitted.
Hint: also check the email hasn’t landed in your spam or junk email folder.
ATTACHMENTS AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS
You may need to upload/submit attachments to support your application. This is very simple, but requires you to have the documents saved on your computer, or on a storage device.
You need to allow enough time for each file to upload before trying to attach another file. Files can be up to 25MB each; however, we do recommend trying to keep files to a maximum of 5MB – the larger the file, the longer the upload time.
COMPLETING AN APPLICATION IN A GROUP/TEAM
A number of people can work on an application using the same log in details as long as only one person is working at a time. Ensure you save as you go.
SPELL CHECK
Most internet browsers (including Firefox v2.0 and above; Safari; and Google Chrome) have spell checking facilities built in – you can switch this function on or off by adjusting your browser settings.
