Introduction

1.                 

The Experimental Print Prize (EPP) is a printmaking award and exhibition conducted by Castlemaine Art Museum Ltd (CAM). The EPP was initiated and funded by a generous donation from Michael Rigg to the Castlemaine Art Gallery & Historical Museum Foundation (CAGHM). Recent iterations of the EPP have been supported by the Joan Aspinall Bequest through Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum Trustees, and through the generosity of many donors from our community. The value of the award is first prize $10,000.

There is also a highly commended award valued at $5,000, and an emerging artist award $3,000.

All awards are acquisitive: the winning artworks will become property of the Castlemaine Art Museum.

 

Eligibility

2.                 

The award is open to all artists currently residing in Victorian (citizens of Australia or permanent residents) over 16 years of age.

3.                 

Employees of Castlemaine Art Museum, the organisers, the judges, and members of their immediate family are ineligible to enter.

Submitting an entry

4.                 

Entrants may submit for consideration one artwork executed after 1 January 2023. The work must be the original work of the artist. The work must not exceed 2 metres in any direction including frame. The work must be ready for display, with appropriate fittings, and clearly marked with the artist’s name, address and title of work.

5.                 

Digital images should be no more than 2 megabytes, saved as jpegs and able to be opened on PC format. Jpegs must be saved with the following details as the file name: artist surname_artist_firstname_title.jpg (Example: Jane_Smith_ExperimentPrint.jpg). Slides, printed photographs, photocopied reproductions or any other representations of the work will not be accepted for consideration.

6.                 

Entry fee is $40 including GST for the entry of one artwork. Multiple entries by an artist are not permitted. Entry fee is non-refundable and covers administration and handling. Payment of the entry fee must be made at time of entry via the entry form (we use Square to process payments) to be eligible.

7.                 

All entries must be received by 11:59pm Sunday 28 September 2025. Entries must be submitted via the online form unless alternative arrangements have been made to accommodate access needs. Entries received after 11:59pm Sunday 28 July 2025 will not be accepted. Entries must consist of a high-quality digital image, entry form, artist statement, artist biography, and entry fee.

If selected as an exhibiting finalist, the artist statement and biography may be published as part of an extended label alongside the work on exhibition (note, edits may be required to accommodate label design).

 

Exhibition of finalists

8.                 

An exhibition of finalists will be held at the Castlemaine Art Museum, 14 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine, Victoria from Saturday 8 November 2025 to Sunday 1 March 2026. The opening event will be Saturday 8 September 2025 at 2pm and winners will be announced at this event.

9.                 

Works chosen for the exhibition of finalists will be preselected from digital images submitted along with an entry form and artists statement and bio.

10.             

All artists will be informed of pre-selection outcome the week starting 13 October 2025. CAM will retain selected artists’ visual material until the close of the exhibition.

11.             

Works selected for exhibition must be delivered to CAM between Monday 20 October and Saturday 25 October during business hours. Works must be delivered to CAM no later than 4pm Saturday 25 October. Artworks will be stored at CAM until the installation of the exhibition. After the exhibition, artists are responsible for the collection of their work between 5 to 8 March 2026 (during business hours).

 

Freight of artwork, liability, and insurance

12.             

Artists are responsible for the delivery of shortlisted artwork to CAM, and collection of their artwork from CAM. Artwork will not be accepted unless delivered and returned free of all freight and other charges. If an artist should fail or omit to remove their work from CAM between 5-8 March 2026, CAM will send a notice by email to the artist, at the last known email address, of its intention to sell or otherwise dispose of such work. In the event of no address being known to CAM, then one month after advertising such notice of intention via Castlemaine Art Museum’s social media networks, CAM may sell such work. After deducting the incidental costs of the sale, the balance will be held for the artist. Provided however, that in the event of such work being in the opinion of CAM unsaleable, then CAM may in lieu of selling the same, destroy or otherwise dispose in such a manner as it may deem fit and thereafter the gallery shall be under no liability whatever to the artist in respect of any work so destroyed or disposed of. Notwithstanding anything in this clause, CAM agrees to comply with Uncollected Goods legislation as relevant from time to time. All care will be taken; however, the gallery will not be responsible for any loss or damage caused. Freight and travel insurance are the responsibility of the artist.

 

13.             

All works must be well packed and clearly labelled with artist’s name, address, title of work, and clear installation requirements included (if applicable). Works must be packed in such a way that the work can be unpacked efficiently and repacked in the same way for return at the end of the exhibition. It is intended that the works selected will be shown in exhibition at the Gallery. Should space prevent the display of work, the Gallery will advise the entrant. For any entrant who was selected as a finalist but whose work is unable to be displayed due to space issues, the Gallery will reimburse the entrant for the cost of freight of the work and the original entry fee.

 

14.             

All entries selected for the exhibition must be available for continuous display at the Gallery for the period of the exhibition. Artists and/or representatives cannot remove an artwork from display prior to 1 March 2026. All artwork must be collected no later than 8 March 2026 unless return postage or alternate delivery at the artists cost is specified.

 

15.             

The Gallery will not be responsible for any loss or damage suffered to any work in its possession or under its control.

16.             

The Gallery will not be responsible for the sale of artworks. Any enquiries regarding sale of work will be directed to the artist and/or dealer. Contact details of the gallery/dealer must be provided on your entry form.

 

Copyright, Licensing, Moral Rights and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)

17.             

All entrants warrant that they are the copyright owners of their works and have all relevant rights to allow their work to be entered in the award. CAM acknowledges each entrant as the copyright owner of their artworks.

18.             

Artists selected for exhibition will provide a non-exclusive, non-commercial, royalty-free, licence for five (5) years for their selected artwork/s to be reproduced in print and electronic media in the advertising and promotion of the award/exhibition and in any catalogue or publication printed in connection with the exhibition. All artists selected for exhibition will also provide a non-exclusive, non-commercial, royalty-free, perpetual licence for images of their selected artwork/s to be kept for archival purposes by the Gallery.

19.             

The Gallery acknowledges the Moral Rights of each entrant under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). As per clause 7 above, CAM will attribute all entrants’ work with a prominent label in the exhibition space. CAM agrees to acknowledge the entrants appropriately in accordance with the information provided on the Entry Form for any reproduction of the artwork under the licence in clause 18.

20.             

If a work embodies any Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) (for example, the traditional languages, knowledge, stories or practices of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities), the artist will notify CAM of the presence of this ICIP -protected material. CAM agrees that it will not denigrate or damage that ICIP or help anyone else to do so. CAM agrees to comply with relevant cultural protocols concerning the display of ICIP material as notified by the artist, including the acknowledgement of custodial interests specified by the artist to accompany the display or reproduction of the artwork.

 

Selection of the winning artwork

21.             

The judges of the award will be Melissa Proposch artist and Creative Director at Artpuff, Andrew Stephens, Editor Imprint Magazine.

 

22.             

The judges will select one winning work for each category (first prize, highly commended and emerging) from the exhibition of finalists. The judges reserve the right not to select any work if works are not, in their opinion, the most appropriate for the prize categories. The Gallery has the right to refuse to display any entry.

 

23.             

The judge’s decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

 

Privacy of information

24.             

All personal information gathered by the Gallery will be used solely for the purpose of administering the Award.

IMPORTANT DATES

Entries Open: 1 July 2025

Entries Close: 28 September 2025

Selected Finalists Notified: Early October

Finalists to Deliver Work to Castlemaine Art Museum: From 20 - 25 October

Exhibition Dates: 8 November 2025– 1 March 2026

Official Opening and Announcement of Prizes: 8 November 2025

Announcement of People’s Choice: 1 March 2026

Collection of Works: 5 - 8 March 2026