The Guide: May 2025
Discover what’s new, bold, and unmissable in this month’s edition of The Guide!
Horizon Festival is lighting up the Coast from 2-11 May with an incredible lineup of live music, dance, cutting-edge art and technology, exhibitions, and family-friendly events. Spanning 50+ events across 10 locations, with a mix of free and ticketed experiences, there really is something for everyone. Explore the full program here.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re searching for the perfect gift, head to GATHAA Markets on Saturday 10 May at Mooloolah River Landcare Nursery. Browse artisan stalls featuring handmade gifts by local First Nations creatives, enjoy a bushfood cooking demonstration with Aunty Dale, and take part in grounding workshops and ochre art with Ochre Bee.
And that’s just the beginning. Read on for more of the best events and creative opportunities, and subscribe for more!
Tomorrow’s art, emerging today
Closes 25 May
Entries are now open for the churchie emerging art prize 2025, Australia’s longest-running prize for emerging contemporary artists. Open to early-career artists working in any visual medium, the churchie is a launchpad for the country’s most exciting new talent, with a strong focus on professional development and industry engagement. Finalists benefit from curatorial advice, networking and promotional opportunities, and vital exposure at both local and national levels. The prize offers over $40,000 in awards and the opportunity to exhibit at Metro Arts in Meanjin/Brisbane.
Bundanon’s 2026 Artists in Residence Program
Closes 23 May
Applications are now open for the 2026 Artists in Residence program at Bundanon. This nationally significant program welcomes artists and researchers across all disciplines, including individuals, collaborative groups, and incorporated companies. Situated on 1,000 hectares of bush and farmland on the South Coast of NSW, Bundanon offers a unique environment for reflection, research, and creative development. Open to both emerging and established practitioners, the residency provides time, space, and support to deepen your practice.
The Refinery’s K’gari Field Trip
Applications close 26 May
R|Short Program: K’gari Field Trip is an experiential program held on World Heritage listed K’gari from 14-17 July 2026. This 4 day/3 night immersion invites artists to explore the intersection of art, science, technology, and the environment and is designed to foster interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration. The workshop program encourages experimentation with creative technologies including spatial audio, XR, drone photography, and locative media. Guided by leading artists and academics and Butchulla/Badtjala Traditional Owners, participants engage with K’gari’s culturally and ecologically rich landscapes while expanding their practice with cutting-edge tools.
EOI
STILL: National Still Life Award is Yarrila Arts and Museum’s biennial acquisitive award, celebrating innovation and diversity in contemporary still life. Open to artists across all mediums and career stages, offering a $36,000 prize pool.
Entries close 6 July.
SCHOLARSHIP
The 2026 Samstag Scholarship supports Australian visual artists to study at a leading international art school. Covering institutional fees for one academic year, $75,000 tax free allowance and travel expenses.
EOIs close 30 June.
EOI
Frankston City Council is seeking EOIs from experienced individuals or organisations to deliver a creative project for South Side Festival 2026. Projects must involve large-scale community participation & demonstrate uniqueness and innovation.
EOIs close 2 June.
WEBINAR: Digital Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) Online Workshop Series
ART PRIZE: Girra: Fraser Coast National Art Prize
ART PRIZE: The Queensland Youth Week (QYW) Digital Art competition
ART PRIZE: Fifty Squared
ART PRIZE: Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award 2025
ART PRIZE: The Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award
ARTIST TALK
Hear from leading contemporary artist Patricia Piccinini in an artist talk presented by Horizon festival at UniSC, discussing her Skywhales Across Australia touring project from the National Gallery of Australia.
Free event, 3 May.
EXHIBITION OPENING
The Perpetual Restart presents new works from Sharna Barker, Ally McKay, Tess Mehonoshen, and Annelize Mulder, who delve into the conceptual and aesthetic power of repetition, embracing repetition in form, shape, and motion across installation and sculpture.
Free event, 17 May.
EVENT
Yauar Warai Wandi – Sing, Dance, Gather, brings together traditional dance groups from across Gubbi Gubbi Country in a celebration of song, dance, language, music, and storytelling under the cultural leadership of Lyndon Davis.
Free event, 3 May.
EVENT: Humble Hosts Up-Late at the Gallery
EXHIBITION OPENING: A BIT MUCH by Odessa Mahony-de Vries
EXHIBITION OPENING: CONFINEMENT | works in progress by Megan Robinson
Image credits (from top): Amanda Bennetts, exhibition view, the churchie emerging arts prize, 2023. Photo by Charlie Donaldson; Kate Scardifield, Work in development, artist in residence, 2022. Photo courtesy of the artist; Image courtesy of The Refinery; Courtesy of Yarrila Arts and Museum; Courtesy of Samstag Scholarship; Courtesy of Frankston City Council; Courtesy of Patricia Piccinini, Skywhalepapa, 2020 and Skywhale, 2013, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, Maitland launch, photographer credit Leighsha Cox, © Patricia Piccinini; Tess Mehonoshen, as I prepare to leave (detail), 2022, Cootharaba clay, thread, dimensions variable. Image courtesy the artist and VCA; Gubbi Gubbi Dancers at Dawn Awakening, Horizon Festival 2022. Photo: Nic Morley.
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