I don’t understand what The Bridge Art Prize 2026 theme is. In simple terms, what are you asking artists to explore and submit? The theme is Load Bearing - what holds us up - and what weighs us down? We want artists to explore the forces that shape our lives: pressure and balance; support and strain; resilience and care. From the personal to the collective, consider the systems, relationships, and environments that sustain us.
Who — or what — carries the weight in your world?
Does the work have to be specifically/literally about the Bridge? No. While the 2025 Bridge Art Prize focused on celebrating the construction of the New Bridgewater Bridge, this year’s prize is shifting away from the physical structure and towards more human-centred creative expression.
Your work could explore emotional or cultural “bridges” between people — such as connections, relationships, or shared experiences. This might take the form of figurative work, interiors, still life, or even figure-in-landscape compositions that reflect everyday life.
It may be a portrait of someone you consider to be a pillar of your community, someone who brings people together.
There is no requirement for your artwork to be a landscape.
Instead, judges will be looking for pieces that respond to the theme of Load Bearing — artworks that reflect ideas of support, connection, and the ways individuals and communities hold each other up.
I am residing in Tasmania, but have only recently moved here, am I eligible to enter the prize? So long as you can prove your current address is in Tasmania then you are eligible.
I have some artwork I’d like to enter, but it was created a couple of years ago for another exhibition, can I enter this work in the prize? No, the work needs to have been created in the last 12 months and not have been previously exhibited.
Can I submit more than one entry? Yes, you can enter as many times as you want. Each entry will require a separate entry form, and payable entry fee.
Can I enter if I am a general member of Derwent Valley Arts? Yes, as a general member of Derwent Valley Arts we welcome you to enter the art prize.
However, Derwent Valley Art board members and members of The Bridge Art Prize 2026 sub-committee are ineligible to enter.
Where will my work be exhibited if I am selected as a finalist for the Bridge Art Prize 2026? The Bridge Art Prize 2026 will be held at the Willow Court Ladies Cottage in New Norfolk. Finalist works for both the Acquisitive Prize and the 15–18 Year Junior Category will be exhibited within this unique heritage building. Works from the 14 and Under Category will be exhibited nearby at the Arthouse.
The Ladies Cottage was selected by the Board of Derwent Valley Arts in alignment with this year’s theme, Load Bearing. It offers a meaningful setting for artworks that explore ideas of strength, connection, and shared responsibility.
As the building is currently undergoing renovation, our team will carefully install each artwork in a way that respects both the space and the work itself. Depending on the materials used - and with the artist’s approval - some three-dimensional works may be displayed on the grounds surrounding the Ladies Cottage.
We encourage you to learn more about this historic site in the heart of New Norfolk.
Please refer to the art prize terms and conditions for full details of entry.