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Enter the Sir John Sulman Prize

For 2023 entrants, key dates are:

  • Collection of other works not selected EXCEPT if sending a courier: 8am – 4pm, 1–12 May 2023 (Monday to Friday only)
  • Collection of works not selected IF sending a courier: your courier company will be advised
  • Collection of works selected for Sulman Prize: selected artists to be advised
  • Finalists announced: 27 April 2023
  • Winners announced: 5 May 2023
  • Sulman Prize 2023 exhibition: 6 May – 3 September 2023

The following information is provided only as a general guide to entering.

Sulman Prize

Value $40,000

The Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales invite artists to submit works in competition for the Sir John Sulman Prize.

The prize will be awarded, in the terms of the gift of the family of the late Sir John Sulman, to the best subject/genre painting and/or mural/mural project done by an artist resident in Australia during the five years preceding the date fixed by the Trustees for sending in entries and that the painting and/or mural/mural project was executed during the two years preceding the date so fixed.

Key dates

Information about the 2024 prize will be available later in the year.

Instructions and conditions

In any year, the artist may enter ONE WORK ONLY. This does not prevent the artist entering other works in other competitions such as the Archibald or Wynne Prizes.

Eligibility

The artist must have been resident in Australia for the eligibility period (five years before the closing date of entries).

The work must have been completed during the eligibility period (two years before the closing date of entries).

The work

  • Must be a genre painting, subject painting or mural project. A genre painting is normally a composition representing some aspect or aspects of everyday life, and may feature figurative, still-life, interior or figure-in-landscape themes. A subject painting, in contrast, is idealised or dramatised. Typically, a subject painting takes its theme from history, poetry, mythology or religion. In both cases, however, the style may be figurative, representative, abstract or semi-abstract. A mural is a picture fixed directly to a wall or ceiling as part of an architectural and/or decorative scheme.
  • Must be larger than 76.2 × 60.9 cm or 4640 square cm but less than 90,000 square cm (eg 3 × 3 m, 1.5 × 6 m) if a subject/genre painting.
  • Must be in the form of a colour scale design in any media and less than 150 × 100 cm if a mural, and accompanied by a photograph of the mural site.
  • May be a multi-panel work as long as the overall dimensions are within the size limits above.
  • May be in oil, watercolour, acrylic or mixed media.
  • All dimensions given apply to the actual work of art, not the mounting or frame.

Further instructions and conditions for 2024 will be available later in the year

See also prize entry FAQs