2026 Community Art Exhibition – Entries now open

You can enter if you live in or pay rates to the City of Joondalup or if you’re a member of a local not-for-profit visual arts association. High school students can enter the Student Award if they’re currently in Years 7–12 at a school within the City of Joondalup. City of Joondalup employees can submit work to be exhibited, however they’re not eligible for prizes.

Yes, there is a cost to enter. Entry fees are as follows:

• Standard entry: $30
• Student entry: $10
• Concession entry (healthcare and concession card holders, pensioner concession card holders and people living with disability): $10

Entry fees are paid online at the end of the entry form using a credit card.

Artists are required to complete the online entry form that requests contact information, artwork information, an image of the artwork and optional award information. Hard copy forms are not accepted, however artists can request assistance by contacting the City’s Visual Arts team on visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au or 9400 4000 or as below.  

Yes, please contact us further to discuss by calling 9400 4951 or emailing visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au. Please note that entry fees are non-refundable.

Help is available in person on Friday 17 April, from 1-3pm at Meeting Room 1 & 2, Joondalup Library, 102 Boas Avenue, Joondalup.

Assistance will be on a first-come, first-served basis, please bring your credit card, full entry details and an image of your artwork. To register for this session, please email visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au

No, unfortunately due to the number of entries, changes are not permitted after the entry form submission. Artists must submit the entry form with a completed artwork. 

The exhibition is held at Westfield Whitford City shopping centre, Corner of Marmion Avenue and Whitfords Avenue, Hillary’s.

Artworks are viewable to the public from Monday 13 July - Saturday 25 July 2026 during centre opening hours, listed below.

• Monday – Wednesday & Friday, 9am–5:30pm
• Thursday, 9am – 9pm
• Saturday, 9am – 5pm
• Sunday, 11am – 5pm 

All artworks must be delivered and collected directly at the exhibition venue.

Please use the ANZ and Commonwealth Bank Entrance off Whitfords Avenue.

View Location on Google Maps.

• Artwork delivery: 11am – 2pm, Sunday 12 July 2026
• Artwork collection: 11am – 2pm, Sunday 26 July 2026

Artists are responsible for packing their artwork for transit and arranging their own insurance. Uncollected artworks will become the property of the City and may be disposed of at its discretion.

Award winners will be revealed during a special ceremony for all exhibiting artists on Saturday 18 July 2026, from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the exhibition venue. Artists can bring one guest, and complimentary drinks and refreshments will be provided. Full event details will be emailed in June with the invitation.

After the entry period closes artists will receive instructions from the Visual Arts team, including an Artwork Delivery Form that must be brought on delivery day. Your artwork must be finished and ready to hang, with D-rings attached—artworks with hanging wire won’t be accepted. For more details, check the online Terms and Conditions listed below.

2-D artworks will be displayed on temporary walls using hanging lines and hooks, arranged by the Visual Arts team on 9400 4951 or visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au. Depending on the number of entries, some works may be displayed ‘salon style’ or double-hung. If you have specific requirements, please contact the Visual Arts team.

Artists with installation requirements for power and 3-D works must contact  visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au to confirm equipment provision and risk assessment. 

No, once the artwork is received further changes including installation requests are not possible. Artists should email the Visual Arts team at visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au, in advance for any specific requirements. 

Yes, all artworks must be for sale and priced at $2,000 or less. The City of Joondalup will receive a 20% commission on any sale with the remaining 80% going to the artist. The City of Joondalup handles all sales and will be in touch with artists to confirm invoicing if a sale takes place. For more details see the online Terms and Conditions. 

All entries need to follow the Terms and Conditions. If an artwork doesn’t meet these requirements, we may need to exclude it from the exhibition. This decision is final and not subject to appeal. Artworks should be original, suitable for all ages and not have previously won a local arts prize.

Yes. All artworks must fit the following limits:

• 2-D artworks: up to 100cm high × 100cm wide (including frame)
• 3-D artworks: up to 100cm high × 100cm wide × 100cm deep (including base)
• Weight: no more than 10kg

Each artist may submit only one artwork, but diptychs (2 panels) or triptychs (3 panels) are allowed if they fit within the size limits. If your artwork has multiple parts, contact the Visual Arts team on visualarts@joondalup.wa.gov.au for advice.

All artworks must be sturdy, safe and suitable for display. Pieces that are too fragile or could cause damage may not be included.

All artworks must be culturally appropriate. Artists should consider issues like cultural appropriation, stereotyping and representation, as misrepresentation can cause harm to communities, affect your professional reputation and in some cases breach intellectual property laws.

To help, you can refer to guidelines from Creative Australia  and National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA).  

“Artists have responsibilities around representation, specifically in the areas of cultural appropriation and stereotyping. These areas involve an inbuilt power dynamic that can create harm in the communities affected including contributing to inaccurate information, discrimination, harassment and abuse.  

Representing and interpreting cultural material that doesn’t belong to an artist also diverts benefits (such as payment and credit) away from the cultural owners and towards the artist. Aside from the ethical implications, this can impact on the artist’s reputation and professional standing in the sector. Artists may also be breaching intellectual property laws depending on the nature of the cultural material represented.” - NAVA 

Questions to ask include: 

• Why do you feel drawn to depicting this culture? 
• Could this depiction of culture be inauthentic or promote a distorted understanding of the cultural knowledge depicted? 
• Are you the best person to undertake this project? 
• How can you collaborate with artists from the relevant cultural group? 
• Have the cultural owners given consent for this project? hat is the level of creative control held by the cultural owners? 
• What is the level of creative control held by the cultural owners? 
• Do the cultural owners have the power to say no to this project? 
• Are you sharing the benefits of the project with the relevant cultural group (including financial benefits, recognition, attribution and ongoing opportunities)? 
• Are there dangers of perpetuating racial stereotypes which cause harm in the lives of real people? 
• What is the impact of power in this cultural interchange?  
• What potential impact does this project have on the integrity of the cultural knowledge and its communication to future generations? 
• How are the cultural owners benefiting from this project? 
• How are you benefiting from this project?

Yes, artworks are insured against damage or theft during the exhibition, up to the sale value listed on the entry form. Artists are responsible for arranging their own insurance while transporting artworks to and from the venue.

All artworks are eligible for the Most Outstanding Artwork ($4,000) and Highly commended Award ($1,500).

In addition, artists can nominate their work for special awards when completing the entry form:

• Celebrating Joondalup Award – for artworks that relate to or represent Joondalup. Artists must include a statement of up to 300 words. This award is open only to residents and/or ratepayers.
• Student Award – available to all student entries.
• Popular Choice Award – decided by public vote during the exhibition and announced after it closes.

All awards are judged by an independent panel of arts professionals.

Unfortunately, entry fees are non-refundable.

All artworks must be delivered between 11am and 1pm on Sunday 12 July 2026.

As installation happens on the same day, late submissions cannot be included in the exhibition. If there are exceptional circumstances, artists are encouraged to contact the Visual Arts Team on the day of delivery.

Artworks cannot be stored after the exhibition ends. If you can’t collect your work, please arrange for someone else to collect it on your behalf and let the Visual Arts Team know in advance, providing written approval for the alternate collector.