Prize details

Local Contemporary Art Prize 2026 is a highly anticipated annual exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery, showcasing the breadth of contemporary arts practice from emerging, mid-career and established visual artists residing on the Sunshine Coast. 

The annual prize, originally known as Local Artist - Local Content, was created by the Friends, Regional Gallery Caloundra, Inc. in 2014. The prize is seen as one of the premier art prizes in the Sunshine Coast region.  

Caloundra Regional Gallery, in partnership with The Gallery's Friends, invites artists living within the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions and working across all mediums to submit 2D and 3D works for the Local Contemporary Art Prize 2026. 

Forty finalists will be selected for the exhibition and winners will share $17,000 in prize money, thanks to our generous sponsors. 

The winning artwork will also be acquired into the Sunshine Coast Art Collection. 

Award categories

Entries in the Local Contemporary Art Prize 2026 are eligible to be considered for:

• Best in Show Acquisitive Award: $10,000 prize 
• 2D Excellence Award: $2500 prize
• 3D Excellence Award: $2500 prize
• People’s Choice Award: $2000 prize

To be considered for selection, entrants must comply with all entry instructions and conditions.

Key dates

• Entries open Monday 3 November 2025
• Entries close Sunday 18 January 2026 
• Finalists announced Friday 20 February 2026
• Finalist works delivered on to Caloundra Regional Gallery between Wednesday 18 and Friday 20 March 2026 between 10am and 4pm 
• Winners announced Thursday 26 March 2026 at the official exhibition opening, 6 – 8pm
• Exhibition dates: Friday 27 March to Sunday 17 May 2026
• Unsold works must be collected Tuesday 19 - Wednesday 20 May 2026, between the hours of 10am and 4pm from the Caloundra Regional Gallery